The Bet
by Larania Drake
Summary: The Bet has been settled. There will neither be a winner or loser on the promised day. All that's left is for Yue to make things right as he battles Sakurazukamori for Touya's soul, and Sakura learns the first inkling of her destiny. Fate rolls forward. C
1. Prologue

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The Bet: Prologue

Disclaimer: Both Tokyo Babylon and Card Captor Sakura belong to CLAMP and NOT to me. I do NOT make any money from this work of fan fiction, which was written for my own twisted reasons.

The moonlight was unusually strong that night, almost as bright as dawn. It lit the serene beauty of Tsukimine Shrine, washing out the usually vibrant coloring of it's miko.

"I'm here," she called. She spoke hesitantly- the noise seemed vulgar in this perfect silence. "What did you wish to speak about?"

No answer.

"Where are you?"

She was becoming frustrated, going deeper and deeper into the shrine's grounds, before clenching her fists. Wind make the branches of the trees surrounding her thrash- and the shadows writhed. A chill crawled up her spine.

"Here," a familiar voice breathed into her ear.

Kaho jumped.

"How-" the woman's eyes widened. "What is the meaning of this? Calling me here in the middle of the night?" Kaho tried to sound angry even as her voice shook.

"I always wondered," the same voice continued, coming from the twisting shadows around her. "How much do you know about me?"

"Know?" Even in the midst of her fright, Kaho frowned. She had missed something; something very wrong. Her instincts screamed for flight.

"You could never see what I was?" the voice was amused.

"I saw that you were destined for someone else," she tried to edge back towards the shrine. "That you were the elder brother of Sakura, the Chosen to receive Clow's Cards. You would give your gift to Yue." She could not help it; there was the unspoken implication that this was ALL he was for.

Her tormentor laughed. Kaho had never been more terrified.

"I wasted a year then. Ah, oh well."

Crunch. Shock. Pain. Blood spattered across the moonlit clearing, and Kaho futilely clawed at the arm sprouting from her chest. Light fell across the face of her murderer.

"Goodbye, Kaho," Touya said casually.

"I did have fun with you."

* * *

Yukito wanted his To-ya.

It was a long standing habit of his, to seek Touya out when he felt bad, even if he never said a why. His instincts always lead him to To-ya- and this time, they led him to Tsukimine Shrine-

-in time to see Kaho fall to her knees, blood foaming on her lips, revealing To-ya's impassive face.

"What?" Yukito whispered, breathless. He didn't believe he was seeing his To-ya, his brooding, selfless, sensible To-ya, wrench his arm from her body. There wasn't blood dripping to the ground, pooling beneath the school teacher. Her body was not- it couldn't possibly be turning into sakura petals, and flitting away in the wind.

It was not To-ya, strolling towards him, arm drenched to the elbow and blood splattered across his face. It was a dream.

Had to be.

His feet were rooted as To-ya appeared suddenly before his eyes- he hadn't seen To-ya move, and he couldn't make himself jump.

"I should kill you now."

Yukito couldn't bring himself to blink, transfixed by the predator before him.

"But you were so much fun to play with," there was an odd note of contemplation in his voice. To-ya regarded Yukito as if he was a fine piece of porcelain.

"You know, I want this game of ours to go on for a little while longer. So- let's make a bet."

Silence. Finally-

"A bet?" the snow bunny croaked.

"Yes! A bet!" the smile never met To-ya's eyes. "When we meet again, you'll have a year to make me feel you are something more than a magician's toy. You win; you live. I win... and you will take your place underneath my Tree."

The wind picked up, and a blizzard of sakura surrounded them as Touya took both of Yukito's hands, and kissed them. The shorter boy hissed, as those kisses branded his palms with an inverted five-pointed black star.

"You are mine now..."

* * *

Eriol paused, as the destiny he'd awaited plodded past him. Inevitability swept by.

It didn't stop the pain as the presence in his heart was suddenly, inexplicably gone for the first time in two years. He dropped to his knees, eyes unseeing.

"Eriol-sama?" Ruby Moon blinked dumbly at her master, before shaking his shoulder. There was no response. She waved her hand in front of his face- and bit her lip at the expression of pure horror there.

"Soupy! Eriol-sama is hurt! What should we do?"

Spinel Sun whizzed into the room, to see Ruby Moon hovering over their master who was on his knees by his Throne.

"Call Sakura-san."

_Kaho. _Eriol could do nothing but mourn.

* * *

Sakura gasped, waking up, sure that something was wrong.

She just had no idea what it was.

Shaking her head, she flopped back down into her warm bed, rolling over, pulling her blankets to her chin, intent on going back to sleep, even if this sense of wrongness kept nagging her. That was when she noticed the clock- she had overslept.

Making a grumpy face, she waited for her brother to come wake her up, so she could yell at him for not waking her on time. Before she yelled, she paused and tilted her head. There was no sound.

His presence was no longer in the house.

Their father was off on a dig¼ Usually her brother wouldn't leave until she was dressed, fed, and off to school, though he would never admit it. Maybe he had over slept?

Crossing her arms in annoyance, she monster-stomped to her brother's room, fully intent on giving him a piece of her mind-

The door creaked open before her, and she stopped dead. The usually neat room was trashed, her brother's possessions strewn about the room. Sakura's eyes swept over the carnage- landing on puddles of dark red.

"Oniichan," Sakura breathed, before blood rushed out of her face, and the world spun. Her knees buckled and she fainted.

It wasn't more than a few moments before she felt smooth pads on her face, trying to slap her back to consciousness. Someone was calling her name.

She kept her eyes screwed shut, convincing herself that she was back in bed, and that everything was all right, and that Kero-chan was waking her up for school-

"Sakura, get up! Eriol needs your help!"

"No," she tried to deny, rolling over on to her side, and curling up. Sakura couldn't hide. There was no one left to protect her now.

* * *

Yue found himself holding his sobbing master; the only person left who could. Her special person was gone, Tomoyo was out of town. He tried not to show his own fears. Yue had awoken to find himself at Tsukimine Shrine, with a panicked Yukito fleeing somewhere deep inside his mind. The shrine was as beautiful as ever upon his awakening, but... Cold dread had washed down his spine. Then he'd looked at his palms.

The mark of the Sakurazukamori had been carved into his flesh. They still dripped blood, even hours later. It wasn't a gush, but a slow seep, barely noticeable. When he'd received his master's call, he'd flown there- but had stopped for gloves.

In the past, Clow Reed had encountered the Sakurazukamori, resulting in a near calamity for both parties. Clow was powerful and innovative. His opponent had been ruthless.

Yue had been badly injured, Kero had nearly died, and Clow had fought her to a standstill, forcing the assassin to retreat.

Yet they would occasionally see her shikigami, a two headed falcon, watching them in the distance.

He wondered if Touya's disappearance was related. It looked like a robbery at first brush- money and small, valuable possessions were gone. Everything else was rifled through. Fujitaka was out of the country, with no way to contact him immediately.

The moon guardian could only speculate. Eriol was catatonic, Touya perhaps dead, and Kaho unaccounted for…

Yet somehow he was grateful for the distraction. It meant that he could hide his own fear.

* * *

Once upon a time, a young woman fell out of a Tree.

She had been trained well in the arts of dark onmyouji. She had been waiting until the day she could take her mother's place as the Sakurazukamori… But in the meantime, she was bored.

This man was so much fun. So much fun to play with, so much fun to manipulate.

She didn't know when she had fallen in love with him. She wasn't the full Sakurazukamori yet, and was still bothered by those troublesome things call emotions.

So Nadeshiko had married Fujitaka Kinomoto.

Emotions, while bothersome things, were nonetheless powerful. She bore him two children. Those two children held immense potential.

She had begun training her eldest son, when destiny could no longer be avoided. Killing her own mother, she took her ancestral place as the Guardian of the Cherry Tree Barrow, faked her death and disappeared.

Yet those powerful emotions stayed with her, and she could no longer complete her task. Telling her dutiful son, he agreed to take her place as the Sakurazukamori, for the sake of his mother and sister.

The girl had her mother's eyes and an auspicious name, it was natural to believe that she would have succeeded her mother- until Touya killed her.

To be continued.


	2. Chapter One

The Bet

Chapter One

  
  


Disclaimer: Tokyo Babylon and Card Captor Sakura do not belong to me and I make no money at all from this work of fanfiction at all. I have no real idea which I am basing this off of, the manga or the anime.

  
  


Five years had gone by.

Many things had happened in those five years.

Syaoran had gone back to Hong Kong. 

Fujitaka had nearly given up when his eldest child had disappeared without a trace. He had been hurt when his wife had died- now, all the life had left him. He went about routine, but the spark was gone. He did, however, invite Yukito to live with them, when it was revealed he had no family.

The once happy, spritely little girl that had been Sakura had been subdued. Her brother and protector had disappeared; her father had all but died; her number one person had left her. All she really had left were her Guardians and Tomoyo.

Yet there had been some good things. Eriol had returned, off and on, and started to train the younger woman in different magic other than the Cards. Sakura had a huge amount of potential- power that let her use the Cards, but she didn't know the basics. Using the Cards was something akin to learning how to run because she could crawl. 

As she had learned, Sakura had taken it upon herself to start investigating magical anomalies in Tokyo and the surrounding areas. While she was able to keep the full extent of her magical abilities hidden- she did NOT want someone to try and steal the Cards- she managed to get a reputation for being an excellent psychic investigator. 

Yue and Yukito had come closer- to the point where they spoke to one another almost constantly, and were completely aware of what the other was doing. They were still separate personalities… Or masks for the other… They weren't terribly sure of what was going on themselves. It made college very interesting. They were majoring in anthropology… largely due to the fact that Yue STILL didn't understand people.

That was were things now stood. Yukito, now a student at CLAMP university, was living off campus with Sakura and Kero-chan. Fujitaka had stopped living- he could not take care of anyone now. So Sakura had moved in with Yukito, and was attending CLAMP high school. They had moved into Tokyo proper, but Yukito still kept his house- money wasn't a problem for them, as Sakura's jobs and the money Clow had left for his Guardians and Chosen were able to keep them comfortably. 

And nobody thought to ask why Yukito had started to wear gloves.

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


"You're so brave, Sakura-chan!" cooed Tomoyo, as her kawaii Sakura-chan used the Sword and Jump to fend off a group of attacking, possessed dolls. They were the result of a curse gone awry, apparently- Yue and Cerberus were trying to find the source of the magic to destroy it while Sakura kept them busy.

The building was only half completed, and thus, her frantic jumping was hindered by open beams and girders. Tomoyo, as always, somehow managed to avoid the main event, and continued to tape Sakura. 

"SAKURA-CHAN! We found the ofuda! GET OVER HERE AND RIP IT!" Cerberus roared, snagging her from midair while Yue distracted the dolls. 

"HOOOOEEEEEEEE!"

Sakura was dumped into a dark corner as more dolls attacked both her and Cerberus- Yue was rapidly being overwhelmed, and Tomoyo let out a sudden gasp as she was quickly surrounded and pounced.

The young sorceress wanted to scream, seeing her friend in danger, and nearly leapt to save her- when they were interrupted by the scream of a falcon.

Nothing was visible, but the dolls surrounding Tomoyo scattered like a wave on rocks. Sakura didn't pause to question her good fortune; she bounded towards the ofuda holding the curse, willing the Sword Card to cut through it, severing the magic. A breath later it rebounded- and she didn't have time to call the Shield card.

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


"Do you know where the nearest doctor is?" hissed Kero-chan, in his false form once again, riding on Yukito's shoulder as he carried Sakura away from the building. It wasn't as easy as when she had been ten- she had grown a great deal- but he had strength a normal mortal couldn't access. Fortunately for him…

"I don't know- I've never been in this part of Tokyo before."

"Tomoyo- what about your cell phone?"

"I tried that already, Kero-chan," the battered girl said, limping along behind them. She would have joined them in hovering over Sakura had she been able to keep up. "It was damaged in the fight, along with my video camera." She sighed at the loss. This had been one of Sakura's greater battles to date.

"Then what do we do?" the plush toy with wings wailed, and Yue stared at him through Yukito's eyes. 

"You could TRY being QUI-"

thud

Yukito abruptly found himself sprawled over a much, MUCH larger body, curled around Sakura, and he lifted his head to tell the other person off- only to find himself drowning in blue eyes.

"To-"

Beneath him was a very broad, very tall man, dressed in an elegant business suit, neatly trimmed black hair and stylish glasses.

"Eh?" Kero-chan had gone flying, recovered, and looked down at the person who had acted as both speed bump and mattress for his mistress and brother. "NIICHAN!"

"Touya-san?" Tomoyo exclaimed, having nearly fallen over herself.

"Wah- what?" the man they had stumbled into replied, blinking at them. "What are you all doing here? Kaijuu- what happened to you? Kaijuu? Sakura?" he frowned at his sister, who didn't wake to look at him, just whimpered. 

"We need to get her help," Yukito said quickly, worry overcoming his shock. Questions could wait until they had saved his Mistress.

"My practice is this way- we can treat her there," Touya replied, picking up Sakura himself and nearly jogging off. Yukito shook his head, not really thinking yet, just reacting, and turned in time to see poor Tomoyo start to sway. He scooped her up and followed this phantom from their past.

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Tomoyo didn't know what to expect when she had heard Touya say "practice" but she had NOT expected to see a sign for a small veterinarian's office, with the modest sign "Sakurazuka Touya, D.V.M." which Touya had quickly unlocked and ushered them in.

It was small, but clean, nice smelling (which spoke volumes of how well the animals were treated) and brightly lit. There was a room towards the back labeled X-ray, some closets... It was, all in all, a very organized and very well equipped little clinic. 

The man whom they had followed gently placed his little sister on a couch in a back office and quickly and professionally checked her over. 

"She's exhausted, with some bruises, and a sprained ankle. What happened?" 

There was a brief flash of light and Yukito cocooned in massive, white wings, and Yue was standing in front of them, before he banished those wings.

"The Mistress had sensed a curse on a building and was removing it. She was caught in the backlash- we were afraid she was going into shock, along with whatever physical injuries she sustained."

Touya nodded, and left the room.

Yukito returned while he was gone, and looked at Tomoyo helplessly, before his knees seemed to give out, and he slumped to the floor.

She could understand how he felt- she had certainly never expected to see Sakura's brother again, let alone alive. Considering Yukito's feelings for the other man... Hobbling over, she put a gentle hand on his shoulder, while Kero-chan sat on the opposite side and patted his cheek.

The heiress didn't look up when she heard footsteps, nor did she when she heard the soft swish of a blanket being spread over Sakura. The silence weighed heavily over all of them, as Touya once again left the room.

An indeterminate time later, she was alerted to Touya's second return with the distinct clink of pottery and silver, and she looked up to see the dark haired man bearing a tray. 

"I thought we might need it," he said softly, nodding to the tray that he placed on a desk. Sitting the edge, he started pouring for everyone, and Tomoyo limped over. Looking concerned, Touya motioned for her to sit on the desk as well. He began examining her, fingers gentle and cool. 

Meanwhile, Kero-chan, who knew what was important, had darted to the tray- and for once, wasn't gorging. He instead picked up a large cookie and floated over to Yukito, trying to distract him with the food.

"Why?" the gray haired young man whispered softly.

"Hm?" Touya replied intelligently, distracted from his wrapping of Tomoyo's ankle. "Its a bone bruise- but nothing broken. You'll be okay in a few weeks."

"WHY?" Yukito repeated, louder this time, his golden eyes looking up into Touya's, full of pain.

"That," he said, looking away," That is a long story. I think we should wait until Sa-"

"Tell me NOW!" Yukito tried to demand, but his voice cracked half way through, his fist pounding on the floor.

Touya winced. He looked at Tomoyo, who stared back with her inscrutable indigo eyes.

Another long, almost unbearable silence stretched out between them.

"Fate," Touya sighed. "Destiny. Whatever you want to call it... It relies heavily on the truth of some things that Father and Sakura never knew about Mother."

"Nadeshiko-san?" Tomoyo said, surprised. She thought her mother had known everything about her cousin- and had told her daughter about it.

Touya nodded. "Mother was... a powerful onmyouji- a yin-yang master. She inherited the job from her mother. However, when she died... she needed a successor and that was me."

"But- your powers! You gave them up to save me!" Yukito burst out, shocked. His eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets.

"I gave you my spirit vision- not my ability to use onmyoujitsu," Touya corrected carefully. 

"You could have told us you were leaving," Yukito shot back.

"I had little choice but to leave. My line has been called to work for the government from time to time... and that work is dangerous."

"What kind of work, Niichan?" Kero-chan asked, curious, chewing on the cooking that had been rejected by Yukito.

Touya smiled at him, and Tomoyo flinched back from it. It looked perfectly correct- perfectly normal, but his eyes were flat behind the new glasses he wore. 

"If I told you, I would have to kill you," he joked.

~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Sakura wasn't sure what was going on, but she was warm, though there were twinges of pain all over her. She briefly wondered if she had knocked herself out during baton practice, and was dreading the teasing that she would get from Touya. He would probably comment on how a monster should be more careful- but wait a minute. Her brother was gone. Dead, as far as she knew.

Then why could she hear him?

Her eyes opened a crack, and she winced at the fluorescent lights above her- she most definitely was NOT in her room. 

"Ah, so the kaijuu is awake now, is she?" called a familiar voice. Sakura found she was ten again.

"Sakura kaijuu janai yo!*" she shouted, sitting straight up before wincing. Her bright green eyes fixed on her brother- before widening, and she dived at him before anyone could say another word.

"ONIICHAN! Oniichan," she whispered, burying her face in his dress-shirt clad shoulder and started to weep quietly.

"Oi, oi, kaijuu! I'm here," he murmured, rubbing circles on her back. "You should sit back down- even monsters are going to have trouble after magical backlashes."

"Kaijuu," she sniffled, hiccupping. "Kaijuu janai."

Touya stroked her hair- a perfectly brotherly gesture. Tomoyo's flesh wanted to crawl.

"Of course you aren't," he said gently, and pushed her away. "You aren't even close to being a real monster. I just like to tease you."

Sakura sniffled a little more, and sat back down, wincing as she put her weight on her bad ankle.

"What- what happened?" she croaked, her throat hoarse from crying. "The night you disappeared-"

"I told Yuki and Tomoyo-chan already. I had to leave- it was my destiny. I think I accidently cut myself on the way out."

"Don't forget ME!" Kero interrupted.

"Hoe?"

Touya sighed... and repeated the story he had told Yukito, Tomoyo AND Kero-chan a few minutes before...

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


"So," Sakura sighed, putting her tea cup down. "So, you didn't have any choice but to leave us?"

Touya nodded, sipping his tea cup.

"You know that father fell apart when you left," she said, slightly accusingly. Touya winced again.

"I could guess."

"You could have told us," she whispered, eyes filling with tears. She gestured to Yukito, Tomoyo, Kero-chan and herself. "We would have understood."

"No, no, I think you wouldn't have. The powers you have are... benign. I have enemies now- enemies that would have put all of you in danger." Touya looked regretful, and ran his fingers through his hair. "I had to leave for the same reasons mother never told father about what she really was."

While the siblings conversed, Yukito had moved to the small window in the office, looking out over the street. He hadn't spoken since his earlier outburst- and Tomoyo watched him nervously. She could feel something was wrong- something they were being told. Her ability to observe had always been greater than her friends'. What she hoped was that she was jumping to conclusions.

"Daddy needs to know," Sakura's voice hardened. "He loved Mother- an he loves you."

"He doesn't. Let him keep the illusion of a happy family that he had. It will comfort him better," Touya's voice was suddenly icy cold- and Sakura sat back, eyes wide and breathless. This was a Touya she had never seen before.

"In fact, it might have been better for you had you never seen me again," he murmured, picking his tea cup back up to sip from it. 

"How can you say that?!" Sakura yelled, hands shaking. "We loved you, Touya! We have a second chance now!" Her eyes turned pleading. "We won't get involved in whatever it is that you are doing. We can be siblings again- a family again. I've missed you. I've even missed being called a kaijuu. Yukito still talks about you all the time!"

Across the room, Yukito winced and rubbed the palm of his left hand, through the white fingerless gloves he wore.

Touya smiled at her. 

"Maybe we can. However- you need rest, little monster."

Sakura pouted. "I've waited this long," she muttered, crossing her arms. "I guess I can wait a little longer."

Touya laughed. "I'll drive you home-"

"We're staying at my apartment," Yukito cut in. "Not at your father's."

Touya's eyebrows went up. 

"Alright- you can give me directions."

Yukito didn't say another word- he merely walked over to Sakura, and picked her up. He obviously wasn't going to give Touya the satisfaction of carrying his sister. Touya saw this, covered his heart and said "Touche," before lifting Tomoyo from her perch on the desk.

They followed Touya out to a small van- with a black cat on the back.

"Sakurazuka?" Tomoyo asked, looking at the name on it.

"My grandmother's maiden name," he answered absently, settling her down in the back.

Yukito stiffened, just then noticing the name. There was something wrong with it- and Yue felt uneasy. 

"I didn't know that," Sakura sighed, about to fall asleep as she was also settled in. 

"There are a lot of things you don't know, imouto-chan," Touya commented, again absently, before getting into the driver's seat.

~*~*~*~*~

  
  


The trip to Yukito's small apartment was quiet and uneventful. The girls and Kero-chan had fallen asleep, exhausted after the night's adventures.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Touya looked over to the passenger side of the car- to find Yue looking back at him. He blinked.

"For saving my life. I never told you when you were awake, and it always bothered me that I had never gotten the chance," the beautiful Guardian looked away, his cheeks faintly pink.

"Is that what kept you so quiet this evening?" Touya sounded amused.

Yue nodded, and looked back at him as they pulled into the parking garage. Touya's face was in shadow. 

"Can Yukito and I see you again?" he softly asked, unsure of himself.

"I'd like that."

  
  


To be continued.

  
  


* Sakura kaijuu janai yo= Sakura is not a monster!

  
  


A/N: Thank you Tam Chronin, my friends Gogo and Chi, and everyone who looked at this while I was writing it.


	3. Chapter Two

The Bet

**Chapter Two**

****

Disclaimer: Neither Card Captor Sakura or Tokyo Babylon belongs to me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

            The flight had been relatively short, compared to what it should have been.

            Eriol was not looking forward to this trip back to Japan, even though he knew it was necessary. His other half was falling apart, and Sakura needed the guidance of a father- even one that looked to be her own age. While it rent his heart in pieces to return to the place where he had lost her, Eriol kept going back, because he had people he cared about.

            Although this time he wasn't going alone. Looking over to the seat beside him, he smiled at his cute little descendent, who was scowling at the antics of Nakuru as she squashed the bag that Soupy-chan was hiding in. Soft noises of pain and protest would come from the bag ever so often as Spinel would stoically put up with the mistreatment- until he could get his revenge at a later date.

            The serious young man always had that effect on him. Trying so hard to get everything right, by the book, bound by duty. If only he had a bit more of a sense of humor… Eriol smirked. He guessed that was where he came in.

            He sighed, melancholy once more. He had sensed something happening in Tomoeda. The memories of his previous life had churned, throwing up images of terror and pain in his consciousness.

            The Sakurazukamori had been sent to after Clow when he had refused to work for the government. The administrators of the Meiji era had not been happy to have such a powerful resource refuse to be at their disposal, and had called upon their most powerful tool to dispose of the magical upstart. 

            The battle had been harsh, to both sides. Yue had been terribly wounded and the Sakurazukamori forced to retreat. They never saw the deadly assassin again after that- yet her shikigami, a two-headed eagle, had been seen often.

            Eriol shivered, looking down at his hands. He and Yue had discussed what had happened to Kaho and Touya, and were certain that the dark onmyouji master of this generation was the culprit behind his beloved's disappearance. 

            He was pulled from his brooding by a sudden shout as Nakuru started to tease Syaoran who was sputtering in anger and embarrassment, and Eriol smiled. He was happy he had come this time- happy that he would be able to spend time with those he cared about, before the end of the world.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            "So this is your apartment, Onnichan?" Sakura asked, as she and Yukito sat down on a couch. Touya was in the kitchen, making some snacks.

            "If its not, I'd hate to meet the person who actually lived here!" he called, voice echoing from the kitchen.

            It was larger than your average bachelor pad; that was for certain. It was stylishly appointed as well. There was little there to remind her that it was her brother's- none of the posters of sports teams, or stereo equipment, anything like his old room at their old house.

            "Its not what I would have expected," she commented, then immediately turned red. "I don't mean that I don't like it, but it's really just not what I remember you liking!"

            Touya came back, smiling at her. "Things change, Imouto."

            "You didn't smile as much, either," Yukito pointed out quietly, still very subdued.

            "We've been reunited after five years- surely the situation warrants it?" Touya replied without batting an eye.

            Sakura didn't question, but kept looking around.

            "A veterinarian?" she finally asked, confused at his choice of jobs. "You could barely stand feeding the penguins!"

            Touya smirked. "Pets are much more honest about their problems than humans. Much more simple to handle as well."

            "What kind of jobs are you doing?" Sakura asked eagerly, leaning forward. "The magic kind, I mean."

            Touya sipped his tea. "Surely nothing more interesting than what you are- Yukito, I believe, mentioned you were a psychic investigator now?"

            This was all of an opening Sakura needed to begin rattling off about her various jobs, not realizing she had been neatly diverted. Yukito noticed- but was immediately distracted by the warm, gentle smile in Touya's eyes, directed at him.

            He felt like he had been punched in the gut- except this was infinitely more pleasant. Yue, inside him, was having a similar experience, and so neither of them heard Sakura wrap up her story.

            "… and now Yukito is a student at CLAMP University studying anthropology." She looked at her Guardian and brother who were still in a locked stare. Looking back and forth, she suddenly got an evil look on her face. "He is working part time as a male prostitute at a Soap Land and has decided that he is going to marry Kero-chan. They're wedding is next month."

            No response.

            "Kero-chan is already expecting so I told them they should hurry up if they want to preserve his honor."

            There was still no answer from either of them- so she continued. This was too much fun.

            "I've had to arrange for more money for tuition since dad can't work anymore," Sakura went on blithely. "Onnichan, I'm sorry, but I've sold you to Nakuru." She was really getting into this.

            "That might not bring in enough money to support my opium addiction. I think I'll skip college and become an Internet porn star. What do you think, Onnichan?"

            "Well, the drugs are something I really can't allow, you realize. But, if you really feel that being an X-rated movie star is something that will make your life worth while, I'll have to support you," Touya said with a perfectly straight face. "I'll have to send a gift to Yukito's wedding- am I invited? Will they name the child after me?" He turned to Yukito, who had tried to take a sip of his tea.

            What resulted was the mother of all spit takes.

            "T-TO-YA!"

            "I'm afraid I can't let you sell me to Nakuru," Touya went along with the gag. "She and I just wouldn't get along. Now, Yuki on the other hand…" He looked at the gray haired young man suggestively. Yukito flushed brilliantly red while Sakura fell over in a fit of insane giggles.

            Touya took Yukito's hand and looked at him like a lovesick hero from a Shoujo manga. 

            "Yuki- is there anyway I could make you leave Kero-chan for me? I know that your honor is at stake, as he is bearing your child," Yukito was about to turn purple from embarrassment, "but I simply could not bear to be without you."

            Yukito was TRYING to answer, but he just couldn't manage it. Yue was similarly at a loss for words, and there seemed to be a feedback loop.

            "Yukito," Touya blinked his eyes soulfully at his old friend. "Do you think I'm sexy?"

            It was too much. Yukito stood up and ran from the room.

            "Was it something I said?" Touya asked, sounding confused while smirking, while Sakura proceeded to bust her gut.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            Sakura had returned to the apartment she shared with Yukito and Kero-chan that night with a feeling of accomplishment. She could see that Yukito and Touya still loved each other. Yukito had been very lonely in these last few years, despite the best efforts of Kero-chan, Tomoyo and herself. While it would take some work, she was sure she could get them together. She might need help… Tomoyo would surely want in though. Her best friend knew people's hearts like none other. Kero-chan would help because the sheer amusement value.

            Pleased, she bathed and dressed for bed, and looked out her window. People walked across the streets, like faceless shadows, or ghosts, and it always sent chills down her spine.

            Sighing loudly, her good mood popping like a soap bubble, she dumped herself into her bed and pulled the covers over her head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            _Little eight-year-old Sakura bounced on her toes, looking left and right, wondering where her Onnichan was. He had never been late to pick her up before..._

_            He had to be around here somewhere, right?_

_            Sakura-chan came to a decision- and a good one, in her opinion. Her older brother always tried to make sure she didn't see how much he cared for her- well, she knew. So, this time, to make things easier- she would go pick him up!_

_            It was a brilliant idea- Onnichan would be so proud of her for finding him all by herself!_

_            Smiling, she walked away from where she was waiting at the soccer field, not thinking about how she had no idea where he was. She was eight- of course she wouldn't._

_~*~*~*~*~*~_

_            Touya was jogging quickly to the junior high soccer field, out of breath from running, his mind troubled._

_            His mother had walked back into his life- and he had been given a choice, that wasn't really a choice at all._

_            Yet- how could he do it?_

_            So caught up in his musings that he didn't notice until he got to the field- and suddenly realized Sakura wasn't there. Blinking, he looked around in circles- and nearly choked._

_            Where was she?_

_            Without thinking about it, he called to his powers- summoning his shikigami, a majestic falcon, and sent it to search the area._

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

_            Sakura-chan blinked up at the dark figure that blotted out the sky in front of her. She hadn't seen him until he had appeared out of nowhere- an ally to her right- and smiled at him. _

_            He smiled back, and something inside her didn't like that smile. _

_            "Hello, can you help me find my puppy?" he asked, sounding sincere._

_            The small green-eyed girl blinked again._

_            "I'm sorry... I'm trying to find my Onnichan," she said politely, looking around. While she would have usually helped someone try to find his puppy, she REALLY needed to find her big brother._

_            "I think I saw him earlier," the man told her smoothly, offering his hand. Sakura perked up._

_            "REALLY?"_

_            The strange man nodded, and smiled more as Sakura took his hand- and he grabbed her before she could scream._

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

_            "SAKURA!" Touya's shout tore his throat, seeing his little sister grabbed, and the shikigami screamed with him- diving at the strange man, striking his scalp. He instinctively raised his arms to protect his head; dropping the girl he had been intent on snatching. Touya ran to her, scooping her into his arms and turning to run. _

_            He stopped when a gunshot rang out. He could feel the energy of the bullet striking the ground next to his foot. Touya's eyes darted, trying to find cover- there was none, just a long, deserted road. It didn't make sense for things to be this empty- but it was._

_            Covering Sakura's body with his own, he turned to look at the stranger who seemed intent on killing them. He didn't know why- and didn't care. Within the protective circle of his arms, Sakura was shaking and crying, and that was all he needed to damn this man._

_            Reaching into his pocket, Touya fumbled for the ever present ofuda he had kept with him his whole life, and cast it out, watching as a few turned to crows, the others to a barrier to protect his sister. Stepping through, he felt the reassuring weight of his falcon on his shoulder, and his eyes turned cold. He didn't even bother to punch the man- instead he simply speared his fist through the would-be-kidnapper's chest._

_            The man smiled at him, madly, despite the bloody spittle coming from his mouth._

_            "I guess... you really are her son," the would be attacker gasped out, while Touya could feel the hot blood oozing around his arm, the thrum__ of his heart trying to beat against his hand, the stillness of his lungs._

_            "O- onnichan?" Sakura whispered, her voice filled with disbelief. She stared at her brother- too afraid to move. The monster that had tried to take her was now dead- killed by the more terrifying monster her brother had become._

_            Touya let the body drop in front of him, casting his magic behind him to knock Sakura out and erase her memory. He moved in a daze, wiping his hand on his jacket, picking up Sakura taking her home._

_            Calmly, collectedly... he walked to the toilet and threw up._

_~*~*~*~*~*~_

            The man who had once been Touya Kinomoto looked at his latest prey, dead at his feet, wondering idly why he was thinking about his first kill.

            Absently the body in front of him was shredded into Sakura petals, leaving nothing but a bloodstain as a reminder. 

            Smiling faintly, he remembered those days with his sister, going to a nearby bathroom to wash his hands- using a towel to assure no fingerprints.

            Those had been the days when he could still feel. The days when he had still cared about anything at all, besides caring for his Tree.

            This latest kill had been faintly amusing- the executive of a company had been dabbling in magic, and had come across a spell he shouldn't have. He had been using it to kill his competitors, something that could not have been allowed. So- he had been called in.

            He found it ironic that Sakura had been the one to take out the core ofuda that had been protecting the big wig. Considering what his sister had been up to... Along with the beautiful Yukito and Yue... yes, this game promised to be very diverting.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            "SYAORAN-KUN!" squealed an ecstatic Sakura as she launched herself at one of the two human members of the party that had descended on her doorstep.

            "AYA!"

            Eriol smiled gently at the exuberant greeting, and his poor cute little descendent was knocked over with a lap full of happy young cherry blossom.

            "Its good to see you as well, Sakura," the mage smiled at her, as she looked up at him, and jumped out of Syaoran's lap.

            "This is wonderful! Its a great big reunion!" she suddenly grinned. "You are NEVER going to guess what happened this week!"

            The reincarnation of Clow Reed raised his eyebrows.

            "What happened, Sakura?" chirped Nakuru, who had been carrying all the luggage- it kept her from overreacting.

            She was interrupted by a shadow crossing the door.

            "Eh, Sakura? Whose there?" asked Touya, in dress khakis and silk dress shirt, casually unbuttoned, and he stared at the visitors. They stared back.

            "To-touya-kun!" Eriol's Moon Guardian stuttered, rocking back on her heels in shock, dropping all of the bags. "TOUYA-KUN!"

            _GLOMP_

            "Hoe?" 

            Touya was flat on his back, seeing stars from the flying tackle that Nakuru had hit him with. He wheezed hard, trying to get his breath back.

            "Touya-san," Eriol gaped, for once, well and truly shocked. He had assumed that the young man had died along with Kaho that night. He'd thought that both of them had become victims of the Sakurazukamori.

            "Touya-san?" Li joined his reincarnated ancestor.

            "Yes, yes, I'm alive," he tried to sound calm, but as the breath had yet to return to his lungs, he was doing a poor job of it.

            "It appears we walked in late," Spinel commented quietly, from the bag he'd been hiding in. He sounded as squashed as Touya.

            Sakura got to her feet, helping Syaoran up, before hugging Eriol.

            "I'm going to call Tomoyo and we can have a party!" she cheered. Yukito had been behind them all, with Kero-chan on his shoulder, and the two Guardians watched their Mistress with affectionate bemusement.

            "I'll start getting the snacks ready," Yukito said happily, as he waved at the newcomers. Eriol was still staring at Touya in shock.

            "I thought you had been killed by the Sakurazukamori," he said softly, and Touya raised his eyebrows.

            "The what?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Eriol noted, humorlessly, that Sakura had managed to get Yukito and Touya to sit together, a shade too closely than was proper, and that she was sitting with Tomoyo across from Li and himself. 

            The interactions among this group were amusing in and of themselves. Tomoyo and Sakura were as close as ever- and Li was not as oblivious to it. The sheer shock in his eyes as the two girls held hands at the table made the sorcerer wince in sympathy.

            The byplay between Yukito and Touya was even more interesting- Yukito would look at Touya, blush, look away, while Touya devoured him with his eyes, one of his hands creeping over Yukito's thigh.

            "I thought you had the same fate happen to you as Kaho," Eriol stated baldly, sipping his tea.

            "What happened to Kaho?" Touya asked blandly, also sipping his tea.

            "We didn't tell you?" Sakura looked pained and held Tomoyo's hand all the tighter. "Eriol said he sensed her die."

            "Really? How do you know that?" 

            "I was the most powerful mage in history- I loved Kaho, and kept track on her, much the same way you did until you gave up your powers."

            "To-ya didn't give up ALL of his powers," Yukito cut in, voice thick with relief. Touya's expression was unreadable as he sat back on his heels. "Only his ability to see spirits. He can use onmyoujitsu!"

            "SUGOI! That's wonderful, Touya-kun!" Nakuru, who had been in the kitchen getting some onigiri together, came out. She would have tackled him had she not been holding a plate.

            "I didn't realize that was possible," Eriol tried to spear Touya with a speculating look only to have it seem to slide off his glassy calm. 

            "There are a lot of things I doubt you knew were possible," the veterinarian smiled at him.

            Sakura blinked, realizing there was something more than just words going on- and at a loss as to figure out what it was. Yukito had also picked up on it- although Touya's hand was still distracting him. 

            "You mentioned something when you came in, Eriol," Sakura tried to change the subject. She didn't like the vibes in the room. "Something about a Sakura?"

            Eriol smiled crookedly. "The Sakurazukamori. I hadn't mentioned my hypothesis on how Kaho died until now because I had no proof. However, with this shadow assassin- there rarely is, unless she or he wants there to be. Clow Reed ran into one of them when he first moved to Japan."

            Yukito's face went still, as his eyes turned bright blue. "I remember that," Yue murmured, and Kero-chan, who had been stuffing his face on candy, stopped and nodded, before going back to stuffing his face. He knew what was important here.

            "What IS that- um, however you pronounce it, thing?" Li scratched his head.

            "There is little know about the Sakurazukamori," Eriol sighed, sounding tired. "Other than that they are probably the best assassins in Japan. They do, however, destroy the souls of their victims and are know for their use of dark onmyoujitsu to kill. The Sumeragi Clan has tried to destroy them for centuries- they have been charged with regulating the use of onmyoujitsu for thousands of years. That's all I know… And I've been trying to find Kaho's killer since she died."

            The young head of the Li Clan grimaced. "None of the magical Clans will admit to any knowledge of who this person is- or having used their services in the past. That doesn't mean they haven't. However- anyone who knows anything about the Sakurazukamori tends to disappear."

            Tomoyo furrowed her brow, and played a little with Sakura's fingers before looking up at Touya.

            "Sakura and I are related to the Sakurazuka Clan," Touya said, and shrugged. "However, the bare fringes of ANY Clan rarely have anything to do with the magical goings on of the main family."

            Eriol jumped, and dropped his tea cup- its contents spilled across the table in a warm wave.

            "Clow Reed didn't know that," he whispered, his pale face turning to wax.

            "You're lucky," Touya smirked at him. "Its entirely possible that the current Sakurazukamori, had fate willed it, been the welder of the Sakura Cards as well."

            Sakura laughed nervously. Things were getting entirely too tense for her liking. "Onnichan, don't even joke about that." 

            Tomoyo and Yukito were scrambling to wipe up the spreading tea. They noticed the odd tenseness in the air as well.

            "Okay, I won't," Touya shrugged. "But fate isn't done with anyone yet."

To be continued!


	4. Chapter Three

** SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1********The Bet:**

**Chapter Three**

****

Disclaimer: Tokyo Babylon and Card Captor Sakura do not belong to me, and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.****

            "I don't think this is a good idea," Touya muttered, as he and his little sister stood outside the door of their old house.

            "Dad will be happy to see you," Sakura sighed, crossing her arms in a pout. It had taken all of her persuasive skill- along with Yukito's as well- along with the Little Sister Begging Eyes of Doom to get him to come here. She was afraid it still might not be enough- he looked like he was about to bolt any minute.

            Yue was now standing behind them, watching Touya warily- Sakura had given him orders to grab her brother should he try and run- but considering that he was empowered with magic, that was problematic. 

            His master knocked on the door gingerly, wondering what her father would be like this morning. He would drift in and out of sanity, sometimes being almost normal, to forgetting to bathe for days on end. She had tried, when it had started, to take care of him, but all her efforts had resulted in frustration. Quite simply- her father hadn't wanted to be helped. She hoped that seeing her brother alive would bring Fujitaka back to himself. 

            After what seemed to be an eternal pause- the door cracked open. The eldest Kinomoto didn't see the person behind his daughter, and smiled down, vaguely, at his child.

            "Sakura," he whispered tiredly, his voice a bare ghost of itself.

            "Hey, Dad," she smiled up at him, but it didn't reach her eyes. It was clearly one of her father's 'bad days'. He sported about a week's worth of beard, his clothing was rumpled, and his face was both pasty and oily. 

            "Dad," she said slowly and stepped to the side. "Touya's here."

            There was a slow blink as the elder man looked up, his eyes starting from Touya's shoes, moving up his body, to his chest- and then his face.

            "You aren't here," he murmured, resigned. "I see you so often, along with Nadeshiko. It's just a dream. I dream about you so often, Touya. When I dream, you didn't die. Nadeshiko didn't die. We're all together, and happy…"

            Sakura swallowed hard and looked away. Behind both Kinomotos, Yue shifted his weight uncomfortably. It was hard, to see any part of Clow acting like this. 

            "I'm here, Dad," Touya said back, swallowing hard and moving forward, taking his hand. "I couldn't touch you if I was a dream, could I?"

            "Touya?" the ill man muttered, incredulous. Abruptly he stepped backwards and slammed the door in his face.

            The sound of the door impacting on its frame echoed throughout the neighborhood, and the three people on the doorstep were frozen in surprise.

            Yue finally broke the silence.

            "I think… that could have gone better."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Inside the house, Fujitaka Kinomoto sagged against the door, eyes wide and breathing like he had completed a thirty mile marathon.

            "Why?" he whispered, and he looked over his shoulder to see his wife's ghost, angelic as always, sitting/floating over the couch.

            "Why didn't you tell me he was still alive?" he spoke painfully.

            "Because," she paused, and looked away. "Because, his body breathes, his heart beats- but he is not alive. No more than I was."

            "Nadeshiko, I don't understand," he begged with his eyes.

            "I hope you never have to," she gently sighed. "You never knew your own son, Fujitaka. I loved you with all my heart, I loved our children, but you never knew me. We both wanted you to be happy…"

            "Tell me, please."

            "No."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Why hasn't anyone tried to get him help?" Touya asked, his voice too calm, as Sakura chewed on her fingernails as they walked away from their old home. Yue continued to trail behind them- dressed in modern clothing, very fashionable because Tomoyo had dressed him, but still modern clothing. He had, since going to college, been using 'participant observation' to learn about normal mortals. It was an anthropology thing. Yukito would titter in his head whenever Yue brought it up- to which Yue would reply that he didn't understand people either and at least he was doing something about it.

            This brought Yue back to following his mistress. He had refused to get a haircut, but did have it looped around his belt so that it didn't trail on the ground. The moon guardian was uncomfortable to say the least- he was in unfamiliar clothes and was also walking next to the tall, imposing form of Touya, who would brush against him ever so often, causing him to blush. Being fair skinned already... This was bad. It didn't help that Touya was smiling into his eyes again, and now he was putting a hand on his shoulder- it was a very warm hand, soaking through his sweater and button down shirt...

            "So, when's the wedding?" Sakura realized getting their attention was going to become a habit. It surprised her that it was Yue, though, who was off in sugar-dreamland. 

            "W-wedding?"

            "I still have to convince Yukito and Yue to leave Kero-chan for me," Touya mock sighed, pulling his hand from Yue's shoulder to cover his heart. 

            "I'm sure we can," Sakura nodded emphatically, crossing her arms. The silly bantering was already lifting her sagging spirits. She just couldn't stand seeing her father like that. "It had been a tragic one night stand that got Kero-chan pregnant. He's not that far along- maybe we can ask him to get an abortion?"

            "No," Touya, mournfully, disagreed. "I could not ask that."

            "S-stop that! Mistress- I am NOT marrying Cerberus, he is NOT baring my child so I don't have to leave anyone for Touya-san!"

            "OH!" Sakura perked up even more. "So- this means we can start planning your wedding?"

            The beautiful moon guardian just gaped like a stranded fish.

            "Oh, then there is nothing to stand in our way, Yue-san!" Touya put the back of his hand to his forehead, overdramatically. It then dropped to cover his heart. "We can be together." Just as quickly, he snatched both of Yue's hands and looked deep into his cat-like eyes.

            "Do you think I'm sexy?"

            "T-TO-YA!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Why are you here this time, Eriol-kun?" Tomoyo, polite as ever, had invited the young/old sorcerer and the Li Clan Head to her home for tea while Sakura went to visit her father. 

            "Why, Tomoyo-san! Isn't it enough that I want to spend time with my friends?" Eriol looked hurt. The ash haired young woman smiled at him, not believing a word. Eriol sighed- the way this young woman saw through him was unnerving.

            "I'm here, because something is going to happen soon. I don't know what- just that it will. I can't dream the future anymore- something I am grateful for. However, I would be a poor sorcerer if I couldn't sense portents- and a BIG one is coming."

            "Ah," she said softly, staring into her tea. These deep pauses were getting rather too heavy for her liking.

            Tomoyo looked over at her other guest, who was sitting beside Eriol, not touching his cup of tea. 

            "We've been getting the same ones in my Clan," Li said, voice dead. "I ran into Eriol, who had been using our magical library- we've expanded since Clow was alive- and we both decided to see if there was anything at all that we could do about it. We think its tied in to who and how Mizuki-sensei died- so we're going to investigate while we're here."

            Tomoyo didn't say anything.

            "We don't too attract much attention- that's why I left Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun at the hotel. I know," Eriol put his hand up to forestall the incredulous exclamation of Tomoyo's. "They are under strict orders to behave themselves. Nakuru can leave any time she feels like it, but she can't molest Spinel Sun. Actually- I hope she doesn't, despite the risk of cabin fever. Her power is great, but what we are looking for is powerful, cunning and ruthless."

            Their hostess shifted in her seat. She could feel the feeling of doom hanging over them like a great cloud, and her intuition was tingling.

            "You think it has something to do with Touya-san resurfacing?"

            Eriol nodded, while Li shuddered. 

            "I have NO idea what Kinomoto-san coming back has to do with anything," Syaoran sighed, and started absently cracking his knuckles. It was a nervous habit he had acquired. "I can't feel any new powers around him, like before he gave them to Yue."

            "I don't think he would lie about this," Tomoyo tapped her finger on her chin. "Yet I could tell he wasn't telling everything. He's very good at covering for himself- but I hoped I was being paranoid. Sakura-chan has been so sad since Touya-san left. She needed all the good news she could find."

            "Maybe we _are_ just being paranoid?" Syaoran replied- and the intensity of their conversation was broken by the sudden shrill of the phone.

            "Excuse me," the graceful young woman got up and walked to the other room. Eriol and Li could only make out a bit of the conversation, when Tomoyo returned, holding a bit of paper.

            "That was a new job for Sakura-chan," she smiled. "It seems there has been many accidents at the MCC cooperation's new water front construction. Many people have died there," she frowned at that. "The workers think the site is cursed. They want Sakura to investigate."

            Eriol blinked- he hadn't realized Sakura had gotten that well known. 

            "Do you think she would need our help?" Li looked at Tomoyo, concerned.

            "Oh, no!" Tomoyo laughed it off. "This sounds like a typical job, actually! We've handled harder cases than this before! You two need to be looking for what happened to Kaho, ne?"

            Li looked like he was about to protest, but Eriol nodded. Tomoyo would never let anything happen to her precious Sakura-chan, and so if she said Sakura could handle it, well, she could.

            "We'll be on our way," the mage said, getting to his feet, taking Tomoyo's hand and kissing her knuckles, while Li looked on, scandalized. "We don't want to get you in trouble with your mother for coming over unannounced."

            "Oh," Tomoyo's ever-present smile turned brittle. "There's no need for that."

            Li had just bowed to her and both young men had turned towards the door. They twisted back to look at her.

            "Why?"

            "She died two years ago."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "MCC Cooperation?" Sakura blinked, not watching where she was going as she and Tomoyo strolled down to Touya's clinic. The young sorceress' eyes were glued to the paper with the details of her job.

            "The president called me earlier. You can call him from Touya's place when we get th- Sakura-chan! Watch where you're going!" Tomoyo barked suddenly, pulling her friend out of the way, before she could stumble over the large wolf-like dog that had just limped out of Touya's office. The gray animal turned and growled at her, before its owner put a soothing hand on its back. The owner, a young man, stared at Sakura apologetically, before turning sad eyes to the dog.

            "I'm sorry!" Sakura apologized profusely, bowing over and over again, as Tomoyo watched her darling Sakura-chan be adorable.

            "She'll be fine in a few days," called a voice, and Touya walked from clinic door. "It was just a deep scrape with a slight infection," he told the boy, and knelt to scratch the dog's ears. She accepted the caress regally.

            "Thank you for helping Duchess," the boy murmured, before leading the dog away. 

            "You are much better with animals now, To-ya," said another voice from inside, and Sakura stopped blushing long enough to grin at her Guardian.

            "Yuki! You're here! And before Tomoyo and me!" she giggled and put her hands on her hips, before wagging a finger at him.

            "Now, you really don't want to lead up to the same situation that made you have to get married to Kero-chan! What would happen if you became pregnant?" she looked indignant. "We'll have to start planning the wedding early!"

            Tomoyo looked a bit lost but giggled anyways, seeing Yuki's face turn red immediately. Touya sighed.

            "No, we haven't done anything to risk Yukito getting pregnant," he held the door open for Sakura and Tomoyo as they entered. "Myself, on the other hand…"

            "TO-YA!"

            "Seriously though-" Tomoyo interrupted. "Sakura-chan has an appointment this afternoon with the president of the MCC cooperation." At Touya's inquiring glance, Tomoyo shrugged. "I take all the calls for Sakura's cases. It makes a good camouflage. People look to me first, and see my company, and don't look much farther."

            "Ah," Touya nodded in understanding. Too much understanding, in Tomoyo's opinion.

            "She slices, she dices, she runs her company AND takes calls for me," Sakura shook her head in admiration, before heading to the phone. "Can I use this?"

            "Her company?"

            "Yeah, Sonomi-san died a few years ago," Sakura sighed and shuddered. "It was… bad."

            "How?" Touya blinked, putting a wealth of meaning into that word. He then gestured that she could use it.

            "Heart trouble," Tomoyo interrupted shortly. She was twiddling her fingers- she did not like this topic.

            Yukito cleared his throat. "Will Sakura be needing myself or me?"

            Touya blinked again.

            "No, it sounds fairly standard," Tomoyo sighed in relief.

            Sakura had just gotten off the phone- and turned to beam at Yukito, mischievously. "Meanwhile- you and Touya can go on a date! Just don't get Touya pregnant," she sniggered.

            Yukito was turning extremely purple, before suddenly changing forms to Yue. However- it should be noted that Yue was not doing much better than Yukito.

            "He ran!" Yue was incensed!

            "I didn't know Yukito could do that," Sakura blinked.

            "I didn't either!"

            "Well, since Yukito left, YOU can take Touya on a date and get him pregnant," Sakura grinned. "That's an order from your mistress!"

            "SAKURA-SAMA! THERE'S NO WAY I CAN DO THAT!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Sakura stood, dressed in one of Tomoyo's more business-like creations- save for the elaborate draping and lace spilling over her hands and skirt- in front of one of the massive, half built skyscrapers across Tokyo. A crowd of workers mulled around, and Sakura wondered where her contact was. The president had said he would meet her there this afternoon- but he was a no-show.

            "Well, he probably IS a busy man," she said aloud, and looked around. Turning a corner- she stopped dead when she found an ambulance having a stretcher lifted into it- a stretcher with a body bag.

            "Excuse me," she asked timidly to a nearby uniformed policeman. "What happened? Is President Tanaka around? Did something happen to him?"

            "I'm afraid Tanaka-san kept his final appointment," said a tall, grizzled detective, looking over at her, and then gesturing to the ambulance. Sakura's eyes widened and her hand covered her mouth in dismay.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            That was how Sakura found herself standing in front of an almost young man in a power suit. He was propped up with a crutch under one arm, but that did not detract from his posturing as a cool, calm executive. Had Sakura not previous experience with people like this- her own great-grandfather and Sonomi- she would have been intimidated. As it was, she recognized his bluff for what it was.

            "Odd," the business suit clad man murmured, bored. "You are not what I expected a witch to look like." He did not offer his name.

            "I'm a psychic investigator," Sakura replied, stressing the last two words. Let him take from that what he would. "I would like to continue to investigate what has been happening here."

            "I," the man said, "while saddened by the loss of our great president, am grateful that this afternoon's accident rid this company of a very superstitious man. We can move boldly now, into the future. Don't worry," he sounded condescending now. "You will still be paid. It just isn't your business now."

            There wasn't much that Sakura could answer with- so she bowed stiffly and left.

            That didn't mean she was just going to leave this alone. No way in hell.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "What did you think?" she asked her purse, which was open enough to let Kero-chan, in his plushy form, stick his head out.

            "There was definitely something more going on than what that man said," the Sun Guardian said, voice serious. "I sensed great spiritual power in him. It was like," he tried to find a word for it.

            "I don't know what it was- but we'll have to keep looking into this," Sakura muttered, reaching into her purse to find the Jump card, and walking into an ally to circle back and wait for nightfall. If there were people dying around here, hell, she would take this job for free.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "It's been a while since I've been to Ueno Park," Yue said softly as Touya and he walked through the fall trees. The reds and oranges and browns of the leaf carpet crunched beneath their feet, the sweet smell of moldering leaves drifting up with their steps. Weak sunlight filtered through the trees. The whole scene had an unearthly feel to it.

            Touya suddenly snapped his fingers. "I'll go buy us some obento, and we can have a picnic," he smiled slyly at Yue. "Will that make your mistress happy, you think?" 

            The silver Moon Guardian gave Touya a long-suffering look. "I would do anything to protect my Mistress. I would do anything she tells me to, so long as it is possible. I suppose that means going on a date with you."

            "Good!" Touya brushed by him, and Yue was grateful the taller man was looking the other way- because he flushed warmly from the contact.

            _He still has that effect on, even after all this time,_ Yukito commented, with a mental sigh. Yue shifted his attention to his feet before answering.

            _Now that we are aware of what we feel for him,_ was all Yue could reply with.

            _We're nowhere near as oblivious to our own feelings now,_ Yukito murmured. _But then, you did that on purpose to keep from getting attached. Though it didn't work._

_            Give me a break, will you? I was still getting over Clow, and I thought if I didn't feel attracted to someone LIKE THAT I wouldn't get hurt._

Yue shifted his weight and started walking, distracting himself with finding a nice picnic spot.

Yukito's tone tasted of irony. _We got hurt anyways. He didn't mean it though. Living means getting hurt._

_            All right, I was wrong,_ Yue bitterly told his other self, even as they approached an enormous tree. There was a brief tingle on his pale skin- and the moon Guardian stopped, looking up at the most enormous cherry tree he had ever seen. Its blossoms were a deep blush pink, especially for the usually pale Sakura. Yet the most bizarre part was that it was blooming at all- it was late fall!

            Standing transfixed, he could feel pain and fear undulate in waves from the serene tree as it wept petals. The ground was littered with them, more so than the fall leaves he had previously been walking on.

            //_Kaho dead on the ground-_

_            -someone with blood all over them-_

_            "Lets make a bet."//_

Yue couldn't move. He could only feel the brands on his palms flare with pain.

            "Yue?"

            He was still trying to figure out who was looking at him, blood dripping…

            Drip, drip, drip…

            "YUE?"

            "Touya-san," Yue swayed, nearly falling over as the larger man caught him.

            "Are you all right?" 

            Yue looked back up- and the tree he had been staring at for so long was nothing but a normal, barren fall tree, waiting for spring.

            "I was just thinking," Yue tried to cover his lapse. "I was thinking that… Sakura are beautiful in spring."

            Touya smiled faintly at him, and sat down on one of the boles of the tree. "They are. Do you know what makes them so beautiful?"

            Yue didn't answer, but sat beside him on the ground as Touya handed him a bento box. 

            "Sakura are usually as white as snow, as white as the moon. Then a jealous emperor, who did not like the color, decided that a fallen warrior should be buried under each one. The tree's roots consume the blood of the samurai, turning the petals into that lovely shade of pale pink."

            Yue looked at Touya, shivering despite the heavy sweater he was wearing. That tree he had seen… it was so pink. How many people had it consumed?

            "It's the wrong season for ghost stories," Yue looked away.

            "Who said it was a ghost story?" the young vet opened his box and started eating. Yue did the same… but he had no appetite. Nor could he stop shivering.

To be continued!

A/N: Thank you, Tam Chronin, JJ and everyone who helped me with this!


	5. Chapter Four

The Bet:

Chapter Four

  
  


Disclaimer: Both Card Captor Sakura and Tokyo Babylon belong to CLAMP, not me, and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all. I'm going to be using Yugioh names for some of the add ins because… Well, I like them. So there. And they don't belong to me either. Nor does the song Duvet from Serial Experiments Lain.

  
  


The night was steamy. Cool air was washing down over her, but it barely made a dent on the thick fog below. Sakura Kinomoto bounced agilely over the construction equipment, through the dense mist as she scouted out the area. 

Kero-chan floated next to her, watching her leap like a rabbit on a sugar rush. Then without warning- she stopped- and Kero-chan, Beast of the Seal... hit a wall.

Sakura took no notice. She had seen something stuck to a wall. Likely as not, it had just been a flyer…

"Oh crap!" she hissed, getting a better looked, calling her Cards. A breath later, she had invoked Shield and Sword, slicing away the curse ofuda from the wall, and was protected from the backlash-

Then slumped against the wall in relief.

"Kero-chan," she said quietly, picking the curse up to look at inspect it carefully. Her sidekick landed unsteadily on her shoulder.

"Dude, there's two of them?" he shook his head, struggling to uncross his eyes.

"Kero-chan?"

"Uh, uh, right," his eyes stopped spinning. "Whoever wrote this had NO idea what they were doing," the small Guardian sneered. A soft glow announced his change in form- and Cerberus looked around, sniffing the ground for traces of other magicks.

He followed the smell, his nose wrinkled unpleasantly at the odor, and suddenly hissed and growled, as a large dog barked, bounding around him. Sakura didn't know what to think- the poor thing was scared stiff of the giant cat-

"DUCHESS!" a young man's voice called, and the sorceress blinked, her eyes making out the dim outline of someone on the other side of the lot. The large dog ran to the figure, and they both disappeared in the fog.

"You might want to get small again, Kero-chan," Sakura murmured, returning her key to its proper size. "We don't want to be seen."

It was a good thing she did so- because a few moments later, as they walked through another alley, checking for more ofuda, there was a soft beeping. Sakura jumped, whirling around.

"You know- that makes it nearly impossible to tail people," smiled the detective from earlier, showing his identification.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


It turned out that the detective was quite a nice guy. He introduced himself as Yamakawa.

"This construction site has been plagued with accidents since it was started," he began, fishing out a cigarette. "Is it really cursed?" he turned to her.

Sakura nodded. "It was a really badly done curse, but still a curse."

"If it was badly made, then why would it work?" he looked curious.

"No matter how badly written it was, it would still affect the energies and spirits in the area. It just wouldn't be predictable." Sakura shook her head in bemusement. "Trust me on this- even if you don't want it to, magic, when invoked, will do SOMETHING."

The detective shook his graying head. "Do you believe that someone could have… infallible luck?" Sakura blinked as the man actually started fidgeting. She wracked her brain for an answer.

"Ye-es," she said, tentatively. "If a person was granted protection from the spirits at birth. Any bad luck, or bad karma, would be directed towards others nearby."

The detective was so unnerved he was having trouble with his lighter. It took him several attempts to produce a flame- and even more to actually hit the flame with his cigarette. 

"I don't usually give any kind of credence to this kind of thing," he took a calming puff. "But who would willingly… If you knew that an elevator was going to fall- what sane person would willingly get on it? Only a person who knew they were invulnerable."

Sakura's eyes went huge as Detective Yamakawa continued. "The accidents on this site have always involved one man. I built up a good sized dossier on him since all of this started, and these accidents have been happening to him since childhood. Any of his friends, his parents, even his little brother… All have died in accidents. Only he survived them."

"Who is this person?" Sakura said in a soft, breathy voice. She had a feeling she knew.

"The current head of this building project. The one who has been at the center of every accident that killed someone in his way but always walked away clean- I think you talked to him this afternoon. Seto Kaiba."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Li and Eriol walked slowly through Tomoeda after having left Tomoyo's, searching mentally for any and all magical traces. They continued on, combing the streets in silence for what seemed like forever.

"Why didn't you tell Tomoyo exactly what those portents were?" Li asked, finally breaking the quiet that had been so thick it nearly made him itch.

"What was I supposed to tell her? 'The end of the world is coming. Sakura is going to make a choice whether or not to destroy the human race, and someone close to her is her Accompanying Star, who will take the opposite side of Sakura? You and I both think its going to be Touya. All my visions before hand showed two versions of Sakura, or the Kamui as she will be called. God's Will, and then the one who Hunts God's Will. Oh, yes- her friends are going to split on both sides of this conflict. That I'm a Dragon of Earth, you are a Dragon of Heaven, and we really have no bloody idea who the rest of the Dragons are?" He was sarcastically bitter. "I have no idea where the Shin Ken is. All I know is that this is going to happen."

Li rubbed his eyes. "I don't want to fight anyone… which is why I offered to help you. Hell, if it wasn't for the fact you gave half your power to Fujitaka, I'd be running already. You have more power and experience than anyone here."

Eriol's eyes were bleak as they took in his cute descendent. "Was I still Clow, I would say that the future could not be changed. There is one future, and that we must all go along with its flow… Yet he misjudged the heart more than anything else. Even that of his own creation."

"You need Prozac," Li muttered, and looked around. The itching feeling was getting stronger. 

"Where have we gotten to?"

Eriol looked around, surprised at the question, and found they were standing before-

Tsukimine shrine.

"Haven't we looked this place over already?" Syaoran looked confused.

Eriol frowned. "I was sure we had. I was certain of it- then why did the tracking spell lead us here?"

Syaoran shook his head. He had this sudden desire to leave. A glance at Eriol showed the other young man was feeling much the same way.

Had they not been looking for magic already, they wouldn't have noticed they had been tampered with at all. Even still, it was subtle, like an ant creeping its way up your sleeve- unless you were looking for it, you wouldn't have noticed it was there, save for the faintest of tickles. 

"I want to leave," Syaoran whispered, edging away. He felt cold now- deathly cold. Eriol was staring at a spot on the ground a few feet away from them. The young/old sorcerer could feel echoes of something there- like watching shadows on a wall flicker past. 

"We have to stay," he hissed back at him, kneeling down to inspect the ground. A heavy, cloying smell filled his nostrils, a mix of two distinct odors. Yet for the life of him, he couldn't place it.

"We have to go!" a hysterical note started edging into the little wolf's voice, and he drew his sword, getting into a ready stance, and stalking the perimeter. Not to fight Eriol- no- he was getting ready to defend him from this sense of… whatever it was. Foreboding, approaching death… the terror was barely held at bay now.

"NO!" Eriol barked, and he placed his hands on the cold earth, and started to chant a post-cognition spell- 

//Kaho-

-blood-

-petals-

-betrayal.//

"ERIOL!" Syaoran screamed as the dark haired boy. Power whipped around him, twisting and weaving, tossing his erstwhile companion into the air.

Eriol had been completely unprepared, in his eagerness, to counter the magical backlash that hit him. The unease had made him rush- and now he was paying for it as his body went limp with shock and pain. Someone had cleaned this place with dark magic. It overloaded his senses, and he clenched his eyes shut, because he couldn't stop his landing.

Diving, Li put himself between Eriol and the dirt, groaning when he landed on his cute, not so little descendent. 

They both lay there for a long time, battered and bruised, but alive. It was a miracle that Syaoran had remembered to drop his sword- his training master would have had a fit. Yet he had, and had kept them from being cut in half. 

"We have to leave," the chocolate haired boy coughed, air returning to his empty lungs. Eriol groggily agreed. Both of them felt the night coming, and with it, a long shadow they did not want to be caught in.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Touya smiled, as Yue slept deeply, his head trustingly placed in Touya's lap. 

He should have guessed Yue wouldn't have been as affected by the memory wipe he had performed on Yukito. While they shared the same soul, they were basically split personalities. Separate enough that magic on one would have trouble affecting the other...

A beautiful piece of art, Touya thought, stroking Yue's snowy hair. Clow Reed did a great job making him.

The afternoon had passed quietly after Yue's nearly hysterical reaction to the Tree. It made the Tree's master and slave almost want to truly laugh. The sensation had been so foreign to him he had paused.

Had he nearly lost his bet that easily?

Before becoming Sakurazukamori, Touya had felt freely, had given his heart to a beautiful woman, had protected his little sister, and admired and pitied his father. The husk he was now felt nothing... except for a strange spark lit by the strange pale boy he had met in highschool.

He still didn't know what had moved him to give up what little of himself he'd had left to save Yukito. The strength he had been born with, without being part of the Sakurazuka clan. It had been all that had stood between him and being completely Sakurazukamori. 

Up until then... until then, he'd kept some of himself. He'd kept hope.

Then he'd given it away, and knew he would never get it back.

"You really are adorable, Yukito," he murmured, still stroking Yue's hair. "To bad you can't win."

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


"Murder," Sakura muttered to herself, flopping on to her bed, looking up at the ceiling. "Murder. I have never had to deal with that before."

"Ah, you KNOW you can handle this, Sakura," Kero-chan answered, floating above her head. His tiny orange paw scratched his head. 

A frustrated, sad detective watched the funeral proceedings of the late president of the M.C.C. corporation- soon to be Kaiba corporation. 

"There is only one person in your way now, isn't there, Kaiba?" he said quietly, from the outside of the building, and lit a cigarette. He listened to the speeches made about the president, Kaiba's voice ringing but unintelligible. 

"I may not be able to stop you… but that girl might."

  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A few days had passed, and Sakura was still no closer to solving the murder, or even finding the person who had put up those badly scrawled curses. 

She was fairly certain they were different people. The murder was cold calculation- whoever did it wouldn't make the same kinds of mistakes that the curse writer did.

Today they were going to brainstorm again at Touya's clinic after it closed. Li and Eriol would be dropping by- they said they had found some information on Kaho. That was another thing that had Sakura in a bind- the situation with Kaho's death had been painful enough when it was fresh. Now it felt like a festering wound. She just wanted to be happy now that Touya was back, and everyone could be pair- uh, have their best friends…

Sakura was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice when she collided with a much taller body- and nearly had a dog try to rip out her throat.

"Duchess!" the taller form yelled, pulling on the dog's leash. "Bad girl! Bad girl!"

The young sorceress was on her duff on the sidewalk, staring up at flashing teeth, and reached out a trembling hand to the dog. She blinked at her, sniffing her hand, and calmed down, thrusting her head under Sakura's hand for a good scratch, which Sakura obliged her.

"Hello," she said in a trembling voice, as the animal started giving her doggy kisses. Her fear turned to giggling.

The young man just watched with trembling hands. Sakura looked into his eyes- and she knew.

"I'm sorry for that," he said, sheepishly. Offer her his hand, she was lifted to her feet easily. "Could I um, make you some tea?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sakura found herself sitting in a small apartment as her host threw together some tea. She could hear him clanking away in the kitchen, talking to himself, and she looked around. Angry spirits seemed to be clamoring to get in- the feeling of a curse returning.

Getting up, she looked around, and found some paper and ink, and wrote out a spell for a barrier to protect this young man. She had, undoubtedly, found her curse writer.

Sticking it to the wall, she immediately felt the pounding of ill will recede. 

"Wha- what?" she heard from behind her. Whirling around, Sakura saw the young man, whose face had held a shadow of despair and burden, ease. 

"How did you do that?" he blurted out, nearly dropping the tray he held, stumbling around to catch his balance, almost losing it completely and saving the tea from disaster at the last second.

Sakura shrugged. "I put up a kekkai, a barrier, to protect this apartment. You're curse didn't really work all that well, but it made the local kami pissed off at you."

"You... knew?" he said weakly, slumping.

His guest nodded, getting up and looking over his book collection. Mostly manga, but it had a few books of magic- ones she knew to be incorrect. Opening the most likely suspect, she found what she was looking for.

"See this?" she pointed to the directions for making ofuda. "They mis-wrote the kanji, and the order is completely wrong. You might want to check something written by the Li family if you want accurate magic. They're one of the most powerful clans in eastern magic in the world, along with the Sumeragi Clan."

The young man just blinked at her and paused. "AH! Oh man, sorry. I'm Katsuya Jounouchi, but everyone calls me Jou," he rubbed the back of his head, not looking at her.

"Sakura Kinomoto," she smiled. "I didn't see you at the docks, but I did see, and hear, Duchess. I doubt I will ever forget THOSE teeth."

"Um... yeah," Jounouchi sighed. "She has great teeth." He stared at his clenched fists, and nerved himself, like he was expecting a blow. When Sakura said nothing, he looked back up at her. She noticed he had lovely golden eyes. Sad eyes, full of pain, and a simmering hatred.

"Go on, you know you want to ask," he muttered, ducking his eyes away again. They would peer at her, then dart somewhere else, and then find their way back.

Sakura still said nothing. Time and painful experience had taught her that patience would get her most answers.

Jou finally couldn't stand the silence. "Could we go for a walk?"

Sakura nodded, getting her coat and hat.

Following Jou silently, she watched him bring Duchess with him. The wolf-like dog looked at him fondly, lovingly, and whined at his obvious discomfort. They walked down several streets, taking several turns, finally pausing in front of a run down store, with the faded words "Turtle Game Shop" on the marquee. Jounouchi sat on one of the steps, and motioned for her sit next to him.

"This is," he swallowed. "I used to have a... a friend. His name was Yugi Moto. Best friend a person had." 

Sakura heard the unshed tears in his voice, and guessed that 'best friend' was the least part of their relationship. This was something the young man needed to get off his chest, so she said nothing, but put a hand on his shoulder. His pain cried out to her- if this was the only way to give him help, relief, she would offer it freely.

"He...was a gaming whiz in highschool. He beat even the current champ at a card game named Duel Monsters. He didn't see that the old champ was bitter. Yug', he even tried to make friends with him. Give him a chance, he said. Guy was always insulting me, calling me a dog," he paused with a trembling laugh. "Yug' gave me Duchess, here. Said I needed someone else to take care of, other than him. Duchess loved Yug' as much as me. She was our baby."

"Then," Jou rubbed his face in his hands, before Duchess started covering his face with doggy kisses. "Then one night, after highschool was over, after college even and we hadn't heard of Seto Kaiba for years, Kaiba called and wanted a rematch. He went to the building Kaiba was working on... The new building at the waterfront, the one you saw me at."

His voice trembled. "The police said it was an accident. But then I started looking into the history of that project, and I found out that in the past year, pretty much ANYBODY in Kaiba's way had 'accidents'. But."

"Is the police called it an accident, maybe..?" she trailed off, before Jou exploded.

"IT WASN'T AN ACCIDENT!" he roared. "Kaiba had it in for Yug' since highschool! Ever since Kaiba lost that one game, he'd been obsessed with defeating Yug'!"

"Then why do they keep judging things to be accidents?" Sakura had an idea of why, but wanted to hear him say it.

"Yug', he fell twelve stories... But Kaiba fell with him. He hit a safety net. They both fell... but Kaiba keeps killin' people and gettin' away with it. It can't be allowed to keep happenin'!" he stood up, waving his arms and ranting. 

"There is a police detective, Yamakawa, he thinks the same thing as you do," Sakura put an hand on one of his arms to haul him back down. He calmed, a little, before sighing.

"Yeah, I know the guy, he interviewed me awhile back," he grumbled, then got back up, removing her hand. "Thanks for the recommendations. I'll be able to find a good spell now."

"But you won't be able to do anything! You don't know enough about magic-"

"I don't care," he said softly, voice dead. "All I have is revenge- and I need it. Without Yug'," he turned around, and tugged Duchess away from snuffling Sakura. "There's nothing for me."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
  


"So, that's what happened?" Tomoyo asked Sakura, offering her a can of soda. They were all sitting around a table at Touya's apartment, slurping take-out ramen.

"Yes," Sakura wasn't eating. Her head was buried in her arms as she rehashed in her mind that afternoon, over and over again. "I have no idea what he's going to do next... but I don't know if I even want to stop him. He's got some right to revenge," she took a deep breath. "Yet I don't want him to get hurt... which he probably will."

"He will," Touya asserted. They turned to him. "If this Kaiba is as protected as you think he is, the result of Jounouchi's hatred clashing with Kaiba's powers would result in a magical hemorrhage that would be impossible to predict."

"Wow... you really are a strong magician, aren't you Touya-san?" Tomoyo smiled sweetly. 

Touya laughed. "I'm just an onmyouji."

A knock on the door interrupted their musings.

"Hello, everyone!" Eriol chirped, coming in with a cake box. Syaoran followed more sedately, shaking his head. "How's everything going?" Then he noticed the long faces.

"Did someone die?"

Yukito choked on his fourth bowl of ramen. 

Sakura looked up at him, and Eriol and Li blinked. Her face was blotchy and streaked with tears. "Its a long story. Its my most recent job..." she swallowed hard. Touya reached over and put a hand on hers. Her reddened eyes shone. "Onnichan..."

Yukito watched this... and felt something stir in his breast that had never been there before... Jealousy. Of whom, he couldn't say.

"You said you had some information on Kaho?" Touya said abruptly, turning from his sister. He was all business.

"We found where she died- and the Sakurazukamori left a trap for us," Li answered flatly, sitting down. 

"For you specifically, or just anyone there?"

"Probably just to scare away trespassers," Eriol said quietly, opening the cake box and fending off the enthusiastic Kero-chan hovering over his head. "There was a sense of 'stay away' and fear there. I nearly got myself killed trying a post cognition spell."

"Discover anything?" Touya's eyebrows raised. 

Eriol shook his head, frustrated. "Some images, feelings. Kaho... and sakura petals. Blood, fear... and I think, betrayal. She knew her killer."

Nothing could be said after that.

~*~*~*~*~*~

And you don't seem to understand

A shame you seemed an honest man

And all the fears you hold so dear

Will turn to whisper in your ear

And you know what they say might hurt you

And you know that it means so much

And you don't even feel a thing

  
  


Touya watched the little group of sorcerers leave, unaware that he had been using his magic on them. None of them seemed to notice how they never seemed to connect him to Kaho's disappearance, or his power to that of dark onmyoujistu.

Thinking back, he could remember the 'games' his mother taught him, of how to use his powers. The first time she had him summon a friend... his ever faithful shikigami falcon. 

"Why did I kill you, Kaho?" he mused, putting on his overcoat to fetch the Tree's next meal. "I wasn't the Sakurazukamori when we met and started dating..."

He'd received a fax that evening, as his little sister was talking to Eriol and Li. His job for tonight...

He didn't fear being caught. He didn't feel anything when using magic on his sister or her friends, or her charming toys...

Nothing meant anything to him anymore...

Yet something inside him regretted it.

  
  


I am falling, I am fading,

I have lost it all

  
  


Was he truly lost?

  
  


And you don't seem the lying kind

A shame then I can read your mind

And all the things that I read there

Candle lit smile that we both share

And you know I don't mean to hurt you

But you know that it means so much

And you don't even feel a thing

Jounouchi flipped through a book, before throwing it on the floor, and stared out his window.

He'd found a spell that would finally punish Kaiba; he was sure of it. He'd cross checked it in some books by members of the Li family, and he believed it would work. 

Could he do it?

He could- that was the frightening thing.

Closing his eyes, he listened to Duchess bark happily at traffic.

  
  


I am falling, I am fading, I am drowning,

Help me to breathe

I am hurting, I have lost it all

I am losing

Help me to breathe

  
  


Fujitaka Kinomoto stared out of his window in the middle of the night. He could feel his wife's presence at his back, but not even that was enough to shake the terror of those memories. Pain fluttered through his chest as he put his hand to his heart. 

What he had seen... oh gods, what he had seen her do...

  
  


I am falling, I am fading, I am drowning,

Help me to breathe

I am hurting, I have lost it all

I am losing,

Help me to breathe

  
  


Tomoyo sat in front of her family shrine, and prayed. The picture of her mother and father together were there, with incense burning around them... and an unshapely canvas wrapped object, tied with plain string was propped up against the wall behind the pictures.

"Mother... I've kept it for you for this long. I wish I knew what happened. I wish I understood. All I can do is be strong for Sakura now... But I'm so lost. Why?"

  
  


I am falling, I am fading, I am drowning,

Help me to breathe

I am hurting, I have lost it all

I am losing,

Help me to breathe

  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED?" Sakura screeched, making the detective next to her flinch. 

"The higher-ups decided that the cause of the accident was metal fatigue in the elevator gears. Therefore, it HAD to be an accident. I could tell them what you told me- that it was maybe a curse- " he could feel the force of Sakura's scowl "but I want to keep my credibility. No one believes in magic anymore."

Now Sakura rolled her eyes, then took a deep, calming (she hoped) breath. Then she grimaced. "Poor Jou, he's going to be heartbroken..."

"Jou? Katsuya Jounouchi?" Yamakawa tilted his head and sighed. "I remember him, was about to tear Kaiba apart with his bear hands, had to be restrained later."

"Let me tell him, okay?" she asked softly. "But I won't give up MY investigation..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Katsuya Jounouchi looked at the golden pyramid that his lover Yugi wore around his neck for years, and sat next to his sweet dog on the floor and hugged her.

Sakura had told him earlier that evening that the investigation had been closed. Kaiba was going to get away, again, with murder. He had no choices left.

Duchess knew something wasn't right. Master was sad, and she wished she could make him happy. She just didn't know how....

"I'm sorry Duchess," he whispered, stroking her soft fur. "I'm sorry girl. I'm sorry sweet Duchess..."

On the floor next to him was a large meat cleaver.

"I'm sorry Duchess... I hope you can forgive me, sweet girl..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Yamakawa looked up at the side of the massive, mirrored sky scraper. 

Tomorrow, the project would be deemed finished, and Kaiba would be able to completely take over the company. Only the chairman was left of the original power structure.

"Damn you Kaiba," he growled, clenching his fists in impotent anger. "The game isn't over yet. No way in hell..."

Night had blanketed Tokyo, and as the frustrated detective turned away, he saw movement in the large sculpture garden before the building.

"Jounouchi-kun? JOUNOUCHI-KUN?" he barked, seeing the young man, eyes dazed and covered with blood, fall and roll down the hill towards him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Sakura sat next to the blond man in the hospital, who whispered softly to himself, and stared at his bloody clothes. Tomoyo and Yukito were with her, while Kero-chan hid in Tomoyo's hair.

"Did you find out anything?" she pounced her brother as he walked in the door of the sterile white room.

"They don't know what's wrong with him," he said seriously, voice soft. "He had blood all over, but no injuries. They're going to keep him for observation..."

"I'm sorry Duchess," Jounouchi whispered a little louder. "I'm sorry girl. Forgive me sweet Duchess..."

"Oh my god," Sakura grabbed his hand. "Jou, what did you do?"

"I'm- Duchess I'm sorry... Book said, beloved dog..."

Yukito's eyes had slipped shut, and Yue took his place. He traded looks with Sakura.

"Inugami."

Without another word, they all dashed down to the parking garage, to Touya's van. 

"TOMOYO-CHAN! You and Kero-chan take care of Jounouchi-kun!" the young sorceress ordered, as Yue pulled her into the back seat. 

"Why am I driving?" Touya asked as he sped through traffic.

"We don't want him to know we're coming!"

They could only get so far when Tokyo's horrible traffic caught them. 

"Maybe we should fly now?" Yue muttered, looking out the window. Touya frowned, and looked around.

"Here we go," he said, and without warning backed them up into the car behind them, and took off down the side.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


"What the hell was that boy doing here?" Yamakawa squatted, then picked up the dropped shovel beside the disturbed ground. Planting the blade, he stepped on it, digging it deep... and the sky lit blue around him in the ghostly form of a large dog... and blood spouted from the hole in the dirt, as Yamakawa ran.

Inside the completed skyscraper, Seto Kaiba looked out over his domain, and smirked. Soon the whole city would be his- nothing would stand in his-

The lights went out. Startled, he looked around, as the gout of red took the form of a demonic wolf-dog.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

Needless to say, Yamakawa was shocked, shaken, and generally freaked out by what he had seen. Hearing Kaiba's scream, his cop instincts made him run into the building (ignoring the part that wanted to run gibbering in terror and disbelief) he took the elevator to the top floor...

"Kaiba-san?" he barked, drawing his gun and scanning the area. "Kaiba-san!"

The young executive was lying in a pool of blood... minus an arm, his hair shock white.

"My- my arm!" he howled, clutching at his stump, gaping at it. "MY ARM!" 

Yamakawa's cop instincts failed him- he walked forward, holstered his gun to try to help the injured man, not seeing the crimson surrounding him. Then he was snatched up-

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Yue and Sakura were about to get sick from Touya's driving- when they crashed through the bottom floor window, and they stumbled out to head to an elevator.

"Onnichan, wait here for us, okay?" Sakura snapped, sprinting to the elevator with Yue.

He only smiled at her as the doors closed... his eyes blank as glass.

"Ready?" she whispered to Yue, who opened his palm, his razor ice shards formed and ready to deploy.

They jumped out, Sakura holding her wand and cards. They didn't see anything... until they heard that annoying beeping of Yamakawa's watch. Looking up, they saw him stuck in some kind of red goo. 

"JUMP! SWORD!" the Mistress of the Sakura cards called, leaping and slicing him free. They fell to the ground. 

"You," murmured a voice in the shadows. Getting ready on the defense, Sakura dispelled the Sword and Jump, and got her attack cards out.

"You didn't have to hurt him!" she cried out, as the figure walked out of the shadows. 

"He was unlucky... or lucky as the case may be. He witnessed my rebirth," the blue eyed business mogul grinned insanely.

"You've fused with the inugami?" Yue snarled. Kaiba smiled at him, as the red goo, blood, slid up his arm to surround him in a caress.

"You won't be able to get away with hurting more people!" Sakura declared, and tossed out an attack card. "FI-"

SHLLLLLLUUUURRRRPPP!

Streamers of red, viscous blood whipped out, taking a form behind the changed man- taking a shape like... a dragon?

"I know who I am now," Kaiba grinned, baring his teeth in a smile of madness. "My blue eyes white dragon will rend your flesh..."

Even as they watched, Yue fired his ice shards- and they were absorbed into the seething red form behind Kaiba. It had only the semblance of a dragon- where Kaiba was getting blue eyes and white was beyond Yue. The Moon Guardian hoped it was insanity talking as he readied his bow.

Sakura dodged nimbly, casting Fly on herself. 

"He's crazy, Yue!" she watched him draw. "DON'T KILL HIM!"

"K'so," he said under his breath, flying up to join his mistress. "I won't if he doesn't hurt you!"

The blood was solidifying, paling- becoming real instead of a caricature of blood.

"I am Lord Set, Priest to the Pharaoh- and through me, the Shadow Games will RETURN!"

Sakura winced at the cliched maniacal laugh.

"Yue- we'll figure out what he's talking about later- distract him!" she hissed to the side, hoping he'd hear her. Whether or not Yue heard her, she didn't know, but he started firing his light arrows, swooping around to draw Kaiba's attention away. Kaiba clearly saw Yue as the greater threat- a female like herself was unworthy of his attention.

Idiot.

"Cards of Sakura, hear me," she whispered, twirling her Star Wand. "Shadow, form a chain to bind the man in place! Firey! Burn away the darkness!"

The cloaked and winged avatars birthed themselves from the Cards. Launching themselves at their mistress' enemy, one held Kaiba to the floor while the other incinerated the blood shadow behind the mad man.

"What? NO!" Seto denied, seeing his creation go up in smoke. "This can't be! NOT MY BLUE EYES!"

"And that," Sakura grinned in satisfaction. "Is that." Her cards dispelled, returning to cardboard, and she scooped them up.

"Yue- is Yamakawa-" 

The Guardian knelt beside the policeman. "He's got a steady pulse- but I think he's got broken bones. We need to get him to-"

"ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!" roared a voice- and Sakura felt shock as a fist collided with her head, and she was tossed through the glass of the side of the building.

"MISTRESS!" Yue tried to dive after her- but his way was blocked.

"You-" Kaiba smirked at him. "Nothing more than a Duel Monster- a servant to one with cards. A slave. A more pretty version of my Blue Eyes..."

The shadows thickened around Seto Kaiba once more, and they crept out to entwine the Moon Angel. 

Kaiba's words mirrored fears deep inside Yue- fears he had never given voice. He couldn't move- as Kaiba continued to talk.

"I will take you- and add you to my collection..." Those powers of Kaiba's flared up, trying to ensnare Yue. "My own moon child..." The mad businessman stepped closer. Yue began to sweat in fear. An enemy's outright attack he could fight- but his own demons were something else- and the powers of the ancient priest were ensnaring his mind. Neither noticed the shadow of a falcon cross the floor to perch on Yue's shadow.

"You are so beautiful," Kaiba was in front of him. Reaching out to stroke his face. Submit, give in, don't think, his eyes told Yue. You aren't human, stop trying to live like one. Forget-

Forget your mistress, who could be dead. 

Forget Clow, who abandoned you

Forget Tou-

NO! He would never forget Touya!

Two voices shouted in Yue's heart- Yukito's and his own. His eyes flared with defiance, as Kaiba growled, and he joined his mistress in unconsciousness.

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


"Fool," the reawakened Priest hissed as Yue dropped. "You will be mine..." Reaching over, he grabbed hold of Yue's hand to remove one of his gloves- and hissed as something raked his cheek. Steps echoed loudly in the silent room as Kaiba whirled to meet this new intruder.

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to have either Yue, or harm my sister. They are mine," Touya smiled, his predator's gaze eclipsing Kaiba's. He removed the glasses hiding his eyes. 

The Sakurazukamori was amused Kaiba lashed out with his Shadow powers, as they bounced off his kekkai. "Sakura and Yue are strong, but neither are very capable when it comes to spiritual powers. I, on the other hand..."

Kaiba continued his assault, shattering glass and making rubble that littered the area.

"I am not as gentle as my sister."

The glass collected in the form of a glowing falcon, shards glittering in the city lights. Kaiba roared in rage, charging to try to rip the Sakurazukamori apart with his hand- and the glass falcon flew threw him, ripping his heart and lungs to shreds, and Kaiba's eyes went huge with pain and shock. Staggering around, he looked at the prize that had eluded him. Blood gushed from his mouth and chest in spurts.

Then he died, turning to Sakura petals.

The falcon glowed a moment more, before alighting on its master's arm.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


The sun rose, bathing them with light, chasing the darkness of their battle away, warming their could souls...

Yukito woke up later, his head in Touya's lap, exhausted.

"Is- is Sakura okay?" his amber eyes wrinkled in concern, even though he did not know his own condition.

"She's fine. She was able to cast Float before she was knocked out and I found her before coming to check on you. Don't worry- I called an ambulance for her, and for the other guy..."

"Kaiba? What about him?" Yukito struggled to sit up, but gave up when Touya picked him up like a child.

"He's no where to be found. Idiot, both of you," Yukito didn't know who Touya was talking about, Sakura, Yue, or himself. "You should have let me come with you immediately. Kaiba's power was SPIRITUAL, not just magic."

"Uh... okay..."

"I'll take you out to eat," Touya smiled at him, his blue eyes glinting behind his glasses in the morning light. "Its time for breakfast. My treat."

Yukito looked into Touya's eyes, nodding wordlessly.

We wouldn't let ourselves forget you Touya. Ever. Two voices spoke within Yukito's heart. Yet, they spoke as one.

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Sakura woke up in the hospital, wondering why the lights were so bright.

"SAKURA!" called a voice she wasn't completely familiar with. She made a little sound in the back of her throat. She didn't want to get up. School couldn't be today. Right?

"Sakura, geeze, thanks... but ya might wanna wake up now," that odd voice told her. 

"No I don't," she said back, turning over, wincing as her head ached.

"I think you do," a much more familiar voice cut in."I have cake, and Kero-chan is about to eat all of it."

"Cake?" she cracked her eyes open. To the side of her bed were Tomoyo and Jounouchi. Both looked like they had been through a war.

"What happened?"

"You're in the hospital," Tomoyo smiled, and showed her the cake box- with Kero-chan sitting on it. "You fell out of a skyscraper and landed on the walkway between buildings. You have some cracked ribs and a concussion."

"Why didn't Clow make a Heal card?" she groaned.

"I'm sorry Sakura," Jou sighed, and slumped into a chair. "Tomoyo and Kero-chan said something attacked the hospital after you left to go see Kaiba. I should have listened to you..."

"Jou- you were hurting and sick at heart," she struggled to sit up and then gave it up as a lost cause. "You'll probably never be completely healed of Yugi's death. But- but you can live on, for his sake. I think he'd want you to be happy. For his sake, and yours, put it behind you."

Jounouchi didn't look at her... but she could see tears start sliding down his cheeks. 

"We're here for you, Jou," Tomoyo said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

"Thanks."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Sometime later, Fujitaka sat in his living room, the lights out, and rubbed his chest absently.

"Will it be much longer?" he asked his wife, look reached out to him, only to pull her hands back.

"Not much longer... Not much longer at all..."

  
  


To be continued!


	6. Chapter Five

** SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1********The Bet:**

**Chapter Five**

****

Disclaimer: Neither Tokyo Babylon or Card Captor Sakura belong to me, they belong to CLAMP and I make no money at all from this work of fanfiction.****

            "We've been looking for four months, Eriol," Li sighed and stretched, pouring his reluctant partner some tea. Eriol grunted sourly, taking the warm drink and just holding it, not drinking at all. Time was rushing past him, like he was caught in a stream with an overpowering current and all he could do was cling to the rocks. 

            "Yes, and all we've gotten are dead ends- I KNOW the Sakurazukamori is playing with us now," Eriol put his tea down and ran a hand through his bangs. "Its like an elaborate game of hide and seek."

            "What- mad someone could outwit you?" Syaoran smirked, pleased, despite the situation that someone had managed to one up the annoying magician. Eriol glared at him.

            "I refuse to answer that on grounds I could incriminate myself," he answered loftily. Syaoran snickered.

            "We still have a few years before the Final Day," Li sobered quickly, saying that. 

            "Yes, so what are we going to do before the world ends?" Eriol sighed, now glaring at his teacup like the world's end was its fault. 

            "We won't let it end!" Syaoran answered fiercely, his eyes glowing like the wolf he was. 

            "We've found another dragon of heaven," Eriol changed the subject. No need to tell Syaoran of his visions. 

            "That Jou character? Yeah, his Inugami decided to stay with him- he doesn't know why yet... but he will. The joys of being a Ten no Ryou," Li hunched over.

            "Being a Chi no Ryou isn't much better."

            "Oh fuck you," Syaoran got up and left.

            Eriol blinked... what was that about?

~*~*~*~*~*~*

            "You know, it really is a lovely day, Penguin-san," Touya said to the small tuxedo colored animals that cackled back at him, like they were answering. The tall man leaned against the glass.

            "It would be all the more lovely if I had people to spend it with," he spoke conversationally to the birds more, and they bobbed their heads, croaked and cackled at him, and he smiled faintly, remembering saving one years ago...

            "To-ya! You are talking to the penguins?" giggled someone behind him, and the veterinarian turned to look into the smiling eyes of Yukito. Touya just raised an eloquent eyebrow.

            "I refuse to answer on the grounds that I might incriminate myself."

            "Well, we'll leave you two alone," said a voice behind Yukito- Sakura and Tomoyo, with Tomoyo resting her chin on Sakura's shoulder. Sakura just gave them her mischievous Imouto grin. 

            "So- you two thought of any baby names yet?" she snickered, continuing the Gag That Refused to Die. Yukito turned a violent red.

            "Its too early yet, I'm not due for another couple of months," Touya answered serenely, getting some odd looks from passerby. 

            "Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?" Tomoyo quietly added, and Sakura covered her mouth to stop from laughing out loud.

            "I honestly don't care," the darker of the men replied, and put an arm around Yukito. "So long as it takes after his or her beautiful father, I will be content."

            "TO-YA!" the snow bunny protested, putting his hands in the air. He tried hard to joke back. "I want a girl! We can name her Nadeshiko!"

            This, for some reason, brought the conversation to a screeching halt. Touya's eyes lost their playfulness as he turned to Sakura and Tomoyo.

            "I thought you had a job this afternoon?" he said, voice calm. 

            Yukito didn't understand the sudden shift in mood, but nodded to Sakura and Tomoyo as they walked away, giggling to each other. He grinned at Sakura's clothes- long, silvery leggings under a white wrap around skirt, open to mid thigh, with a flounced blouse, with two long shawl like trains going from her shoulders to her wrists, but draped past her knees. It gave her the impression of wings.

            Then again, he was dressed like the Return of the Hippie… Tomoyo's varied tastes had struck again. Tie-dyed shirt, beads, fringed leather vest and bell-bottoms over moccasins. He couldn't have contrasted more with the veterinarian in the Armani suit more.

            They turned to walk away-

            "What was that about? I was trying to go join in with that joke for once, and you completely shut me out," he sounded a little hurt. Touya refused to look at him for a moment, but when he did, Yukito shivered. His eyes were flat, expressionless behind his glasses. Nothing at all…

            "A daughter of mine, named Nadeshiko, would have to take over the family like business, like Sakura nearly did."

            Then the moment passed, like it never existed. 

            "So… do you want to go to the tea shop here for our date?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "We're meeting Jou here?" Sakura asked, as Tomoyo handed her the note she had taken. They had gone to a small diner, some hamburger place, because Jou was trying to hire them.

            The two girls had made friends with Jou, after his perpetual gloom had lightened, they could see the cheerful, devil may care youth he had been, and they found they liked him a great deal. Yet the oddest part about him now, as he entered the diner, was the dog that still followed him around, completely unhindered by a leash, and which people walked through like he wasn't there, but would get pats and scratches from her master ever so often.

            Yet only Tomoyo and Sakura could see the dog… 

            "What do you think is going to happen to them?" Sakura asked her wise friend. Tomoyo frowned and blinked for a moment, her face going oddly slack. Then it quickly became Tomoyo again. Sakura was, needless to say, unnerved.

            "I think, that until whatever business Duchess has with this life is over, she won't move on. Of course, it might be that she just DOESN'T want to move on- she loved her master with all her heart. He loved her. I think that they are happy like this…"

            Sakura nodded.

            Jou trotted over, and Sakura quickly shoved a tray of food in front of him. He grinned at her and immediately started wolfing the food down- and sneaking pieces to Duchess.

            More odd staring as one or two people tried to convince themselves they weren't seeing food disappear into mid air.

            "What's this job you have for us?" Sakura asked as Jou started draining his drink. 

            He paused his slurping. "Oh, yeah- well, these weird fires have been starting at this, um, place I know of. They've only been happening to, um, guys who, um, have been mistreating, um, the people that work there. I don't really GO there, cause, well, I still love Yug', and don't really need to, but I got a friend who works there and she, yeah, she um… got roughed up a couple of times outside of work by, um, customers." Jou's face was starting to sweat. 

            "Jounouchi," Tomoyo pronounced carefully. "What kind of place is it that you are trying to describe?"

            "A Soapland?" he answered in a small voice.

            Sakura nearly spit out the soda she was drinking, choked, and Tomoyo and Jou had to enthusiastically pound her back to get her to breath again.

            "A Soapland? You mean, as in, prostitutes?" Sakura wheezed hard.

            Jou nodded. "I, actually… I worked at one for a while," his face turned very purple. "I just did the bathing thing!" he protested.

            "Well, I met this girl, we kept in touch cause she was nice- and she wouldn't tell me what was going on, but I read stuff in the paper about what was happening at her Soapland."

            "So- you want us to investigate what's causing the fires?" Tomoyo clarified. Jou nodded, and gave the rest of his burger to Duchess, who barked happily.

            "I think- um, do we have to actually meet the girls?" Sakura asked nervously, shifting around in her seat. Jou sighed.

            "They aren't bad people, Sakura-san," Jou sounded sad. "It's a place where people don't ask questions. They go there cause they either need the money desperately, they want to hide from something, or they just don't want people to know them. They got lots of reasons- some ARE bad, but most are just tryin' to survive."

            Sakura sat back with a huff. Bad things had happened in her life- but she had never faced a situation like what Jou had described, where her choices were so limited that she would be forced to work at some place like that. Yet she had seen people who had been down and out- whose despair crushed them. Like Jou's had been- and she hurt for them. 

            So much pain… so little she could do about it…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Syaoran Li looked up at the ceiling of his room; arm flung over his head, and told himself to forget.

            He didn't want to forget. He couldn't forget. 

            He hadn't told anyone- how could he?

            Meilin was dead.

            He'd had to listen to Eriol moan the loss of his ladylove. He'd been there through the reunion with Touya- but he couldn't, not yet, vent his grief for his oldest friend. 

            It had to be his fault- they'd fought, like siblings, and the next day, a fire had started in the Li compound- he could still hear his cousin screaming… It couldn't have been a year or more ago…

            Maybe he'd be given a miracle, like Sakura. Maybe if he believed enough- everything would be all right.

            That was the Invincible Spell- right?

            Right?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Night had come with a suddenness that had left Yukito nearly breathless, as both he and Touya sat on the highest beams of Tokyo Tower.

            Somehow this had turned out to be a threesome date- with Yue talking them to a part of the Tower no one would normally get to, free of charge.

            "This is... such a beautiful city," Yukito murmured, looking out over the constellation of lights that made up the city at night.

            "Yes, it is. I truly enjoy this town," Touya smiled out over it, and Yukito felt odd as he looked at the smile, like there was something he was missing. Or had been added- like the smile was real...

            _His smiles aren't real? Yue muttered, in their mind. The thought was oddly disconcerting. Then it was gone._

            Then again- what was real? Yukito and Yue shied from that thought as well. 

            Were they real?

            Their wishes were those of their master- but Sakura was a sweet, loving person. How could they ever tell? How could they ever be real- or even whole?

            "I enjoy Tokyo as well- it's changed so much. So many things are here..."

            Touya chuckled. "I suppose my reasons for liking this place are far more different than yours. Although that might change..."

            "Why do you love this Tokyo?" Yukito asked lazily, leaning on Touya's shoulder.

            "Its the only town that can enjoy itself on the way to damnation."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Sakura blinked at the door of the Soapland she had been paid to investigate. Her heart was racing, because she had absolutely no idea what to expect. 

            It was still daylight- the Soapland was still closed. Nervously she went up the short stairs, and knocked on the door. 

            "Excuse me- we're not open yet," said a voice form behind the door, and it opened, and Sakura felt like someone had punched her in the gut.

            "Meilin?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Are you going to tell me what crawled up your ass and died, or do I have to use a post-cognition spell on you?" Eriol growled at his little descendent, who was staring off into space. To Eriol, it was obvious that Li had been crying- not hysterically, but the slow drip of tears seeping from a deep heartache.

            Syaoran glared half-heartedly at him, and turned away, not saying a word.

            Eriol was silent for a moment.

            "I warned you-" and started to chant a spell-

            "Its not any of your business," Syaoran said in annoyance. 

            "It is if you are going to mope around," Eriol crossed his arms. 

            Li wanted to growl at him, but Eriol was being sincere for once.

            "It's been a year since," he sighed. "Since Meilin died."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "MEILIN?" Sakura nearly shrieked, but was cut off by the Chinese girl's hand covering her mouth, her cinnamon eyes as shocked as Sakura's.

            "Sakura?" she whispered back, and looked surreptitiously around, before grabbing her arm and pulling her inside. "What are you DOING here? This isn't a place I ever expected to SEE you!"

"Me- what about you? I haven't heard from you for nearly five years! I thought you were still in Hong Kong!" Sakura felt her knees wobble dangerously.

            "You mean- Syaoran-kun didn't tell-" her ruddy eyes closed in pain, and took a deep breath. "Well, I left Hong Kong a year ago…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Li had gotten to his feet and was pacing back and forth. "The Clan Elders are getting more and more nervous as the Promised Day gets closer. They think that it is a sign that the Clan is not destined to survive, because more and more Li children are being born without magic, and what the gifted ones DO have, is weaker. Frankly- I think its bullshit. We've been so inbred for so long that it's amazing we have a normal set of teeth. Magic users ARE rare- and I'm lucky I was born so healthy. A lot of powerful mages are physically frail."

            Eriol nodded. He himself was far from robust- while he wasn't sickly, he wasn't a weight lifter by any stretch of the imagination. 

            "Meilin was absurdly healthy- and NORMAL. She's got the blood lines- and power potential- to be my equal. Some times power just doesn't come out. Sakura's like that- if Clow hadn't made the Cards it's likely she never would have developed her powers as a mage. That's another thing! People just don't NEED magic as much anymore. They don't bother to develop their powers. Why the hell the elders decided- fuck- those bastards, they didn't even TELL me. They _knew_ I would stop them- I'm the fucking Clan Head!"

            Eriol stared in astonishment- Syaoran was not the type to curse unnecessarily. The fact that he was ranting like this meant he was horribly angered by whatever had happened. Of course- he had just said Meilin had _died…_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Sakura found herself in one of the many parlors in the Soapland, trying not to stare as Meilin walked around in a red lace teddy, sheer stockings held up by black garters, and a black housecoat over that. Meilin's hair was loose, draping down her back in a black curtain- and Sakura couldn't stop her blush.

            This Meilin wasn't the same one she had known as a little girl. She was…

            Sakura's face heated up. Meilin looked very, very-

            And her mind strayed to wondering what Tomoyo would look like-

            BAD THOUGHTS! 

            Pinching herself, Sakura turned back to Meilin, who was now sitting across from her- and holding a cigarette, which she lit with her finger.

            "You- you have power now-" Sakura thought being dumbfounded was going to a permanent state for her now.

            Meilin laughed without humor. "If you want to call it that… You see- one day, the Clan Elders came to me, and asked me to do my duty to the Li Clan. As I was not going to be bearing children for them- they asked if I would agree to participate in an experiment."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "I didn't find out until later they were trying to make her magical potential come to fruition. She had a lot of it- you sensed it as well as I did. Energy, untapped, unusable to anyone, other than maybe passed down to her children. Since no one in the Clan would marry her now that it was presumed I would marry Sakura- they decided her duty was to try to wake up that power she had never used. They went over my head, and asked her."

            Eriol watched as Syaoran sat down again, face in his hands.

            "I couldn't protect her. I wanted to- she'd been with me as long as I could remember…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "I volunteered fairly quickly when they said they could give me the magic that should have been mine from birth. Or so they said. I shouldn't have agreed so easily- but they were the Clan Elders- what else could I do? So I agreed to go along with it." Meilin took a long drag from her cigarette, and Sakura stared at her hands. What could she do?

            "The experiment was a success- only no one could control what happened. It turns out I'm not exactly a mage- I'm a fire-user. An Elemental, for lack of a better term." Meilin chuckled, this time not so dryly. "It was a trait that the Clan had tried to breed out of us for generations. It had become so rare that they didn't recognize it… What had blocked me from using it in the first place was a spell that had been placed on the entire CLAN- right at the founding of it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "I don't know what happened- I can only imagine that whatever they tried to do was a failure," Syaoran said miserably. Eriol had gotten up and sat next to him, and gently put a hand on his shoulder. Syaoran didn't notice.

            "A huge fire broke out- and I tried to go in to help, but I couldn't get there in time. When I managed to put out the fire, it turned out that many of the elders had been burned beyond recognition, and Meilin's body completely destroyed… We couldn't tell who was who, even with magic."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "When the Elders discovered what they had done, they tried to kill me. I had started a small fire, one that could have been put out with a fire extinguisher. Then they panicked- and they directed their magic at me. I had a dozen ofuda thrown into my face before I could breathe- and I lashed out to protect myself… I killed them."

            Meilin had started crying, silent, anguished tears falling down her cheeks. "I didn't mean to; I didn't want to hurt anyone. They were there- and then I hurt- and suddenly there was fire everywhere and they were _gone._ Elemental abilities are hard to control… So I left. I didn't want to bring more pain to my Clan. Syaoran would have tried to protect me, and I knew he couldn't. Not from this. I came back to Japan, but I didn't want you to get into trouble," she smiled faintly at Sakura. "I missed you- but I also knew that you couldn't keep a secret to save your life. So-" she gestured to their surroundings. "I found the only job I could really take."

            "That's not true," Sakura protested- what, she couldn't have said. 

            "People don't ask questions here."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "I really have been an ass, haven't I?" Eriol muttered. Syaoran had cried himself to sleep, his head in Eriol's lap. "I've been so concerned with how to find Kaho's murderer that I didn't notice that someone else was in pain right next to me… Ruby? Would you mind carrying him to bed?" 

            The Moon Guardian walked in, looking at Li with pity in her eyes. She gently picked the much larger boy up, and walked away, and turned to Eriol.

            "Does this mean we're going to leave?"

            "No- the murderer still has to be found," he sighed. "But I need to be more gentle to those around me…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Are you the one causing the fires to the, um, clients?" Sakura asked, in a small voice. Meilin shrugged.

            "Yes." She looked away. "They were hurting the other girls here. No one was killed… How did you hear about that?"

            "Um, Jou told me-"

            "JOU?" Meilin's sad eyes instantly lit up. "I haven't heard from him in ages! How's he doing? Has he found a new boyfriend? How's Duchess? She was such a sweet dog…"

            "Woah!" Sakura laughed. "He's doing better- it's a long story. I'm a psychic investigator now- and Jou was worried about a friend of his here- you? He heard about the fires and said his friend wouldn't want to ask for help and asked me to work a case for him. I solved a case he was involved with a few months ago- and we became friends."

            "That's great," Meilin sighed, and finished off her cigarette, and looked at the clock. "If it makes you feel better, I won't burn anyone else… I'll just beat them if they try to stiff us again."

            Sakura choked- but she hoped Meilin was joking; but from the hard look in her eyes- maybe not.

            "You should tell Syaoran-kun," the sorceress rubbed her forehead. "Knowing him, he's convinced himself it was all his fault. He needs to know it isn't."

            "Sakura," the other girl sighed, and rubbed her forehead. "We're going to be opening soon. Syaoran-kun… He wouldn't be happy to know what I've become."

            "Well, I was surprised when Onnichan turned up alive," Sakura commented softly. "He's a veterinarian now- that's something I wouldn't have expected either. Li loves you- not like how you wanted him, but I know he thought of you as his friend."

            Meilin turned away and stubbed out her cigarette. "I'll think about it. You should be leaving- I doubt you want to see what I do for a living. Give me your phone number- I'll call you later."

            Sakura didn't answer, but offered Meilin her card with a bow.

            "Please do call."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Touya watched as his little sister left the Soapland, raising an eyebrow. His latest target was a frequent client… but he'd had a bad habit of abusing the people there. He was also a high level official who was deeply corrupted- but the contract had indeed come from one of the workers there. 

            One of the brats from the Card Capturing days was working there… what a surprise. 

            Sakura walked away, sighing softly, and passed by an ugly little toad of a man on his way to the Soapland. She didn't pay him any attention…

            Leaping down from the building he'd perched on, Sakurazukamori casually waited by the door of the Soapland…

            The toad-man walked up the steps, was about to enter…

            "Got a light?" Sakurazukamori asked, holding up an unlit cigarette. To the toad-man, it looked like he'd appeared out of nowhere. Startled, the anonymous man shook his head.

            "Fires make me nervous anymore- I stopped smoking," he laughed nervously. "It's bad for my health…"

            "So are a lot of things," Touya murmured, enclosing them both in his illusion. "You really should be more careful about your business…"

            Much further down the street, Sakura wondered why she could smell the scent of cherry blossoms so strongly. None were blooming in this area.

To be continued.


	7. Annex

The Bet:

Annex: Memories  
  


Disclaimer: Both Card Captor Sakura and Tokyo Babylon belong to CLAMP, not me, and I make no money from this work of fanfiction whatsoever.  
  


He could remember what happened, quite clearly.

Little ten year old Touya stood with his father and little sister, holding her hand as she looked around in confusion, wondering why all the adults were crying. Touya knew, but he couldn't explain to her. Their mother had left them. She had gone in the middle of the night, after using her papers to make people think she was sick.

He remembered watching her leave, silently, and she had turned away... her face wet with tears. Now he had to watch while everyone around him cried for her. He felt like crying too, because she had left them.

Blinking, he looked up to see an enormous two headed raven fly through the church sanctuary. Following it with his solemn eyes, Touya looked to the door to see that Nadeshiko Kinomoto was leaning against the door jam, with a smile of cruel amusement curving her lips. She no longer wore the cheerful, fashionable clothing she modeled. Now she was dressed in a black kimono, embroidered with pink cherry blossoms, her hair bound, face whitened with rice powder. She beckoned to him.

Nodding, little Touya let go of his sister's hand, knowing she wouldn't notice a thing. He felt his mother's illusion around them both, concealing them from normal eyes. 

"Hello, Touya-chan. Have you been well?" the words were perfectly correct, but there was nothing in her voice but cool detachment. Touya trembled, the tears he had refused to shed coming frighteningly close to the surface. 

"Mommy," he said softly, not looking away, face calm as he struggled to hide the emotions near to overwhelming him. Nadeshiko had been adamant he learn to do that. "Mommy, everyone misses you. Daddy and Sakura are sad."

"I know they're sad," she sighed, head bowed, and for a moment something flashed across her face that could have been regret. "Yet I had to do this. One day you'll understand."

"Why do adults always say that?" he sounded very annoyed now, and his mother tossed back her head and laughed. It was not his mother's warm, generous chuckle- now it was like listening to nails grating on slate. 

"Why don't I start telling you things then?" her voice was perfectly normal now. Like it had been before she left. For some reason this terrified him all the more. "I will start showing you what I do from now on... and then you tell me later if you really wanted to know them." She took his hands. "I will teach you everything I know."

"But you showed me stuff already," he frowned at her. "You said you were going to teach Sakura even more than me."

"No, I don't think I'll be showing Sakura anything at all. I need you, little Touya. I need you to learn, and grow up strong so that when my burden is given to you... you can do it. But not right now. I will come back and teach you. Then I will make you into what you were born to be."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


Fifteen year old Touya walked to the Tsukimine shrine, attempting to keep his breathing normal as he followed his mother's shikigami.

It had been three years since he had last seen that bird, since his last lesson with her. It was during those lessons that he had learned that what his mother was- and which he had no desire to ever become.

"You've grown." The voice whispered from every direction, and Touya didn't even bother to try to find the source. There was neither approval or reproach in her tone. She was merely stating a fact. 

He didn't think Sakurazukamori would kill him- so she had to have summoned him for another reason.

"Its been three years. What do you want?" he said, his tone flat as hers. 

She appeared beside him, as usual, dressed in her black kimono. Touya did not flinch, did not move at all. Yet he saw something in her eyes that he hadn't thought was possible. 

He saw pain.

"I never thought that when I started to play with your father, that I would ever feel something as insidious as love. Yet I stayed, when all I needed was to bear a child to be my successor after I took up my own mother's position. I never thought, that even after I became Sakurazukamori, some of those emotions would linger even though my heart is bound."

Touya said nothing.

"I come here to make you a proposition, Sakurazuka Touya. You will hate me for it. Yet it is necessary, just the same; as necessary as my position."

Touya felt dread begin to grow in his gut, deep down, like someone was shredding his heart and stomach and intestines with shattered glass. 

"When you were a child, I had chosen Sakura, your sister, to be my successor. She had the proper name, and immense power. You've felt it as well as I."

There was a long pause, and Touya tensed. His little sister was in danger- a danger worse than death. He had to defend her, but-

Touya went completely limp as he realized what his mother was saying. What her 'proposition' was.

"You want me... to become Sakurazukamori."

"Yes."

Touya knew what had to occur for him to take up that mantle. 

"If you decide to not do it," she looked up at him, as he was far taller than she now, and her green eyes bore into his soul. "I will take Sakura. Tomorrow. She will begin her training to succeed me. She will go through the training I put you through..." here she brushed a hand over Touya's face, before tracing his lips with her forefinger, then down the side of his throat. "And she will become the most powerful onmyouji in the history of the world. Then humanity will suffer."

Touya shuddered, gasping as he felt iron bands constrict his chest.

"Do I- do I have time to think about it?" he begged quietly, as the wind started to howl.

"You have until tomorrow morning. Then I will take her. And, Touya," she took his arm, whispering in his ear. "Do not think you could ever run away with her. I will always find you."

Touya couldn't look at her anymore. Turning away, he left, to pick Sakura up from practice. He was late.

"You're right, mother. There are so many things I did not want to know."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


Touya sat next to the door to Sakura's room, listening to her breathe as she slept.

He had taken as shower after bringing her home, trying desperately to wash away the blood from the man he had killed. He would be the first of many, Touya knew.

There really was no choice. Sakura, while she was strong, was so very innocent. She had not seen their mother do horrible things. 

He remembered what she had said to him during her funeral. "Yes, this is what I was born to be," he hid his face in his hands, before curling up into a fetal position. "There are no coincidences, only the inevitable," he quoted, remembering Kaho, starting to chuckle hysterically.

"I wonder if this will count as a part time job?" he asked himself, tears starting to finally fall.

"No, of course not. It's a full time position..."

He couldn't believe he was considering this. Considering becoming a murderer. He was fifteen, for god's sake... Then he remembered the pain on his mother's face. She-

Oh gods, could he do this? 

A muffled sob came from Sakura's room, and his head whipped around to see the little girl crying in her sleep. Standing, without thought, he went and stroked her hair. She quieted almost immediately... and Touya knew he could do this for her. If nothing else- he would spare her from his waking nightmare.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


Nadeshiko watched through the eyes of her shikigami as her son approached the shrine, walking with firm, unwavering steps. He had made his decision- the one she had wanted.

It was humorous, in a sad way... He walked up to her, eyes shadowed with grief.

Neither spoke as she approached, and he turned his eyes.

"Mother... is there any hope for me? Any chance for redemption from this hell you are so easily condemning me to?" he whispered, desperate for some chance he could be rescued. 

She smiled sadly. "Your spirit vision won't permit all the spell bindings to work on you. You will keep your emotions." 

Even the numbness was denied him. He would carry this weight on his soul.

"Love is the only thing that might lighten this for you. The love of your heart and soul could save you. If someone were to love you as you were..." she shook her head. 

Touya choked, bracing himself, and Nadeshiko opened up her kimono, offering her naked breast to him. He cupped her face one last time, looking into her beautiful face, and leaned in to give her one final kiss... before slamming his fingers through her heart.

The wind had stopped, and the wet squelch of his hand inside her chest echoed allt he more loudly. Falling backwards, she gave him a brilliant smile, even as her body dissolved into petals before his eyes.

"Oyasumi, okaasan."

Falling to his knees, Sakurazuka Touya wept.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


Touya stared at the fax in one hand.

It was the first. He wondered how many more would come. It was from the government, about killing some leader of a quasi-religious organization that was causing more havoc than help to teenagers. This person was also trafficking in drugs... Touya chuckled hysterically.

He had been to visit the Tree the other night, and it had not been exactly thrilled with the change in management. It had liked Nadeshiko's style...

Crumpling up the paper in one hand, he found his lighter, lit a cigarette, and burned the fax without another word. He turned to his closet, and changed from his bus boy uniform to tee-shirt and jeans... He wouldn't be given a second glance. 

He took a drag from his cigarette and walked out the door, laughing a little bitterly. He had a date tonight with Kaho. Touya wondered what he should tell her- that he couldn't go because he had to murder someone? He had no doubt that he could do the murder; Nadeshiko had trained him very well. He had killed before to save Sakura. But he felt so sick, knowing that he would be taking money for this...

//Quit whining and do your job,// snapped a voice in his mind, and Touya growled. The Tree, of course. Why did such a thing have to be so sarcastic?

//This is my first job, and its not like I had much of a choice in becoming your caretaker.//

//That is NOT my fault,// the tree complained. //You were too strong, spiritually, for all the necessary spells to affect you. Maybe had your mother started training you when she should have, they would have worked, but nooo... those stupid feelings of hers kept her from doing it.//

Touya and Tree-san had been having this argument ever since he had taken on this job. He refused to kill innocents, and it was having hunger pangs.

//This means you are going to have to take more jobs after this first one,// it said with an air of finality. Touya, sad to say, agreed.

He really didn't want to kill people just because they were handy- and the Tree could very well force him to do it.

The money would be going to the bank account his mother left him- one that was nearly untraceable. Then again, the government wasn't really going to let anyone investigate him... They didn't want to bother as someone as powerful as Sakurazukamori, or lose their favorite assassin.

Stomping his smoke out, he walked down the street... and that evening, carried out his first assassination.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


Touya looked at the beautiful grounds of Tsukimine shrine, shrugging off uncomfortable memories as he waited for the one true light he had left to meet up with him. It was a festival night, and party goers were tromping around the grounds, and Touya wondered if he would ever look at people the same way again. 

He had killed five people in the time since he had become Sakurazukamori... and all he had to look forward to was Sakura, and Kaho.

"Boo," someone giggled in his ear, and Touya jumped, nearly grabbing his ofuda. Thankfully he didn't, because when he turned his shadowed eyes, he stared down into the beaming face of Kaho Mistuki.

She leaned forward... and whispered into his ear...

"Study abroad?" his voice was strangled. "When?"

"Tomorrow." Her voice was as pleasant as if she were announcing dinner. 

"But," he felt so lost. "Is that too soon?"

"Its not," she leaned against his chest... Touya was hard pressed not to make comparisons to his mother. She was even dressed in a kimono. "I made the decision two months ago."

"Why didn't you tell me?" his voice was now deathly quiet, and Kaho just smiled... but his tone made her smile turn sickly.

The despair that her presence had kept at bay until now scrambled to claw at the edges of his heart. Now he would have no one, no one to love him for what he was... He was going to drown soon in horror.

Kaho, oblivious to what she was doing, kept smiling. "It would have bothered you, wouldn't it? I'd hate to go out with you just to feel sad." 

Touya was sinking.

"Its been a year since the last day of my student teaching. That was the day you told me "I love you," right here, at Tsukimine Shrine. On the way home from school, remember?"

She spoke softly into his ear. "I was so very happy. I loved you a lot, too. I did have a lot of fun with you."

"What's with," he swallowed. "The past tense?"

"Because its the past," she cupped his face, and he tried hard not to flinch away, as flashbacks of Nadeshiko filled his mind. 

"Let's break up."

"Why?" his tone was strangled. Had she found out? Would he have to kill her now?

"Because when I come back... You and I will both be in love with other people."

Relief and pain warred with each other, and Touya foundered. He had no idea what to do or say... He didn't think he could love anyone now. He didn't want to. No one else would know him like Kaho- no one else could possibly understand...

But then again- she didn't either.

  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Touya narrowed his eyes, both in humor and in annoyance as his little sister and Yukito entered the tea room of the aquarium. His current target was there, which he was monitoring. He really did not want to handle those two distractions, but part of him delighted in watching their interplay. Yukito, being cutely oblivious on purpose, and Sakura dressed up for a date, as they ordered snow cones.

His little monster was keeping secrets these days. It bothered him a little, but he watched her from the shadows as she captured those cards, and had come to the conclusion, after watching one of her Captures, that she wasn't in very much danger. Yet. There was a particularly strong Card here as well, and he wanted to be on hand should anything happen to her, and-

He could feel the Card being particularly pissed off about something, and he frowned as he saw the aquarium glass crack, webbing its way down. Water flooded the area, and he swam, trying to find his little sister and the snow bunny- completely forgetting his prey.

"SAKURA! YUKI!"

Growling, he would have trapped the damned Card himself if he wasn't so concerned for his two... people. There- Sakura- picking her up, he carried her to the stairs as the water started flowing away.

"So, Sakura," Yukito sighed, and Touya smiled a bit, seeing that he was carrying the axe. He must have made the water drain away. "I'm sorry that those snow cones went to waste."

He's emphasizing that, Touya blinked, looking at the non-human sharply. Its like he's trying to tell her something.

It doesn't really matter now, that they're safe. I'll keep my shikigami after them tonight, but I still have to kill the owner. I'll do that while they were catching that Card...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


Touya could feel that something big was happening. Turning, he killed his prey quickly, before running out of the restaurant he was working at to find out what was going on. He almost forgot to clean up his mess.

Snorting, he wondered if his father or sister noticed that none of his previous employers seemed to remember who he was. Or that he never used references. Or that he had far more money that his many part time jobs should allow. He doubted it- he was particularly good at memory charms. So far he'd only been caught once with bloody clothing, and Sakura hadn't asked about it- just started teasing him about a rough soccer match. Thankfully he HAD been in his uniform.

A few moments later and he realized he was heading back to that place which held so many memories: good, bittersweet, and agonizing. 

Tsukimine shrine.

Concealing himself completely within his maboroushi, Sakurazukamori narrowed his eyes at the scene in front of him. Sakura was dressed in one of those Tomoyo-chan Specials, looking absolutely ridiculous, blushing and sputtering. Next to her was that brat and Tomoyo herself. 

And Yukito was rising into the air, glowing. Sakurazuka nearly growled, but contained himself as a pair of wings emerged from Yukito's back to cocoon him. From that, emerged the most beautiful being he had ever seen.

So, this is what you were hiding? Touya mused to himself. His heart wanted to tear in two, as he saw the sweet Yukito become this new person, seeming without care of what he was doing... then he laughed, his mother's laugh, harsh and mocking. He, off all people, should understand being cruel, but hating it. Maybe this Yue was no different. Maybe he and Yukito had more in common than he would ever imagine. One false face, one real one, and never knowing which one was true.

He found it oddly funny... Kaho was there, and acting, as always, as if she knew everything that was going on.

That would kill her one day, he was sure of it.

Then they mentioned what would happen if Sakura failed. That everyone would forget their most beloved person... Touya frowned, crossing his arms.

He would not let that happen so easily. The power of the Clow was great... but so was his own. Even if he had to kill half of Tomoeda to do it... he would not allow that to happen.

"I thought that, without hesitation. What have I become?" he murmured, watching as his sister fought for those she loved, yet not wanting to hurt Yukito. Touya readied himself to intervene- he did not care about Cards or Judgements, but his own two most beloved people were out there. 

Then Kaho smiled, and gave Sakura her Moon Bell.

"Sakura, you lead such a charmed life. I hope you never know what has been given to you, and sacrificed for your sake."

He wanted to laugh at this farce of a Judgement. Yue was bitter as the full moon on a winter night, pronouncing her worthy. But his heart warmed, just by the slightest of margins... as Sakura said she wanted to be his friend. Then he returned to Yukito... and Touya appeared in time to catch him as he collapsed.

"What are you doing out so late?" he asked, smiling a bit at her. The darkness hid the blood spatters on his clothes- and if they didn't... well, he could pass them off as a bad night at his latest part time job. "And what's with the get-up?"

Scooping up Yukito, Touya looked at Kaho, who froze under his gaze. He would need to deal with her eventually... but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not when he remembered the love he had felt for her once.

"Let's go home, kaijuu."

  
  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  


Touya carried Yukito into the infirmary... 

He felt like he was carrying himself to his own funeral. In a way he was. He knew that if he went through with this, he would basically be losing himself. All that had kept his soul intact was his spirit vision- it had repelled the most intense of the spells creating Sakurazukamori. 

He still felt sick with each murder. While he had resigned himself to his fate, he still could not carry them out without remorse. That was how, in a morbid way, he knew he was still Kinomoto Touya. Sakurazukamori had yet to completely win out.

That was about to change.

Gods... he could see Yukito disappearing even as he walked to the infirmary. The Guardian was becoming lighter and lighter, the sun shining through his pale skin. 

The trip to the school infirmary took longer than he ever thought it would. Putting his dying love down, he ruffled his hair, and wondered how much longer he would have to enjoy touching him. Enjoy anything, for that matter.

"To-ya?" Yukito looked up at him, eyes unfocused. His glasses were next to him on the bed. "Did I fall asleep again?"

"Yeah," Touya's eyes were NOT unfocused as he looked down at the dying Guardian. "In the middle of gym."

//Go ahead and get it OVER with,// The Tree said softly in his mind. //He won't last much longer.//

//I'm afraid.//

//You won't have to worry about that after you're finished,// it pointed out.

//Go fuck yourself.//

"There... must be something wrong with me." It sounded like staying awake was too hard for him. Even breathing was becoming difficult. Touya thought he could smell death about his... friend. "I'm just so sleepy..."

Touya's voice was intense. "There IS something wrong with you," he almost spat it, terror making him sound angry. "You can't figure it out!"

Yukito looked almost afraid. "Huh?"

"Yuki- you- I-"

"EXCUSE ME?? Is Tsukishiro all right in there???" 

Touya didn't react at first.

"I'm fine, Akizuki!" Yuki chimed, trying to put some strength into his voice. Touya was getting pissed off- because he knew that Akizuki was the same as his Yuki, and that Akizuki was trying to feed off his powers- and there was no way in hell he'd let that happen. He nearly lost his nerve to give them to Yuki as she kept screeching.

"Touuu-yaa," she whined. "The teacher says you have to come back for the baseball test!"

"I'm kind of busy here," he said, and turned to her, trying to keep his normal teenage facade up. He wondered if he could rip her soul out and feed her to Yukito... But he didn't have a contract out on her.

"You'll get a ZERO on the test if you don't go!" she said in a sing-song voice, leaning in through the window.

This was it. If he wanted an out, he could take it. 

"Everyone's COUNTING on you!"

Gods, he couldn't do it... He didn't want to lose what was left of his humanity, even if it was to save Yukito.

"I'll... I'll come back right after this is over." 

//He'll be dead by then,// the Tree told him.

//Go fuck yourself.//

//I have. I'm self-pollinating, you know. I do it all the time. Its why you keep feeding me, so I'll stay in bloom.//

"Okay." Yuki closed his eyes, and Touya turned away. He couldn't stand to watch this lingering death anymore.

"I'll go on ahead, Touya-kun!"

Damn you for sounding so cheerful.

Touya tried to walk out- but something caught his arm. Blinking, he looked down at the snow bunny... Who was blinking up at him like he didn't understand what was going on himself.

"What's wrong?" the faint voice became even more so as he spoke. Touya noted he could see through the hand gripping his shirt.

"Oh!" Touya stared at his hand as well.

"Mother," he whispered. "I understand now."

"TOOOOUUUUU-YA-KUN! Hurry up!" Akizuki called from the window, noticing he hadn't moved. 

"Tell the teacher I don't care about the test." He kept his eyes on Yukito- whose expression had turned pleading.

"Wh- what? But, he'll get mad! You'll let your team down!"

"So?" Touya barely heard her. Yes mother, today, I understand.

Akizuki nearly jumped in through the window. "So, Touya-"

He whirled around and lunged, putting his hand on over her heart, if she had one, and let a bit of his power seep through. He knew she could feel it, and the look in his eyes let her know EXACTLY what he would do if she didn't shut up.

"I need to talk to Yukito," his tone held the stillness of the grave. "Stay out of my way..." He grabbed the certain, his eyes holding no more expression than a hunting falcon's. She tried to smile at him- get his attention- then he closed the certain.

//Now,// Tree-san laughed. //SHE can go fuck herself. Now get this over with.//

Sighing, he sat down next to Yukito on the bed, and cupped his face. "Now, Yuki, listen... I know you aren't human..." he smiled, even as he felt himself start to shake. "So you don't need to hide from me anymore.

You're more human than I will ever be, he felt like saying. In a few moments, I'm giving you what humanity I have left. I hope you, or the other you, can use it.

The winged cocoon formed around Yukito as he fell backwards, his eyes closing, and floated off the bed. It opened a breath later, revealing the glowing, moon-pale form of Yue.

"So, we finally meet face to face," he smiled gently, in a humorous, self-mocking way. "And you are?"

Silence greeted him. Oh, how he found this to be funny. 

"... Yue."

"Yukito didn't want you to know that he wasn't human..." 

So, we have even that much in common. I didn't want you to know I wasn't human, either.

"That he was only a temporary form of Yue... So I couldn't return to my true form in front of you."

Touya nearly laughed, but kept it in. I can't exactly return to my true form in front of you, either.

"Yukito didn't realize what he was feeling. When he stopped you from leaving, it was subconscious, but that subconscious movement betrayed his true emotions."

Touya looked away, and closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath.

"You are... special to Yukito."

The Sakurazukamori looked back at the Moon Guardian, their eyes meeting. Yue flinched back for a moment... Even he could see the power there, though he didn't know its source. Then Touya was back.

"You once told," Yue paused, like he couldn't decide what word to use. "Him, you didn't want to lose him."

Touya nodded.

"But the current master doesn't yet have the power to uphold Yue's existence."

Touya's mouth quirked, as he realized Yue was talking in third person. Who was asking him- Yue or Yukito? Temporary form, indeed.

"Do you know what needs to be done?"

"Yes," he answered without hesitation. The Tree had told him ages ago. "If the powers I was born with can keep Yukito alive, I'm willing to give it to you- both."

Yue held back. "You won't be able to see your mother again you know."

Now Touya DID laugh. 

Yue had to be unnerved by the relief there. "Well, I suppose its not fair that I'm the only one who can see her. Who ever really saw her. But- if I lose that power, I won't be able to tell when Sakura is in trouble as easily." He left out his shikigami. Or the fact he could use onmyoujitsu. He was strictly telling the truth to Yue... Just not all of it.

He stared into Yue's eyes, trying to convey the weight of his request. "Will you take care of her for me?" 

I won't care after this. She could be my next victim. I need you to keep her safe- from me, if necessary.

"I don't need to promise." Yue looked insulted. "I would give my life to protect my master."

"I don't want you to do THAT," Touya glared back. "After all, if you disappear, Yukito disappears, too." You keep thinking you're separate if it makes you happy. I know that you aren't. "I want you to protect Sakura... but you better protect yourself as well."

"Is that your condition for giving me your magic?" Yue crossed his arms... and Touya noticed he was floating in the air, giving himself enough height to match his own. Touya chuckled, and he felt like he was counting down the seconds.

"Yes," he paused, still wanting to draw this out, despite the fact he could feel Yue's life fleeing him.

"Very well," his voice was glum. What was Yue expecting? A wild night of passion? His first born, in exchange for his magic? "I'll try."

Touya laughed more. "You really are alike."

Yue raised his eyebrows. 

"You and Yukito," he clarified.

Touya watched Yue float up to him, and grasp his shoulders, and he braced himself.

//I'm still here, Touya,// the Tree whispered. Power bled from him as Yue pressed his lips to the junction of his neck and shoulders, almost like a vampire, and then weakness...

Then the strained bonds of onmyoujistu that had been stretched and warped by his power snapped into place, cutting off his heart from the rest of him, and he knew no more.


	8. Chapter Six

The Bet:

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura and Tokyo Babylon/X do not belong to me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all. All characters belong to CLAMP except for Jou and I forget who owns him, but its not me, either. Oh, yeah, and I forget who owns Weiss Kreuz. Not me either.

Yukito yawned, running his fingers through his ashes and snow hair, swaying a little as he walked to the subway. It had been a long night at the library and afterwards, he'd decided to study with Touya for his finals. 

It was now eight months since he had found his- that To-ya was alive. In that time, he had awkwardly tried to feel his way back to the relationship they had once shared. Yet he had come to the realization that it was not going to happen. It was painful, that. He and To-ya had once been so close... He ducked his head and closed his eyes painfully. So much in love.

Then Touya had left.

Yukito and Yue had been lost and confused when he'd re-entered their lives. He wasn't, yet he was, the same man. Trying to reconnect the way they had was a lost cause. So he'd done the only thing they could- they started anew.

In some ways Sakurazuka Touya was much the same as Kinomoto Touya, but the differences were painful. He was so much older now- not just age wise- actually, he was almost in the same physical condition he'd been when they'd parted. His attitude, his soul was so old. Yue was ancient in comparison but he didn't have this world wise... callousness... to him.

Sighing, Yukito took his seat on the subway- it was nearly empty this time of night. The human form of Yue didn't notice until he heard a loud thump to the side-

And a woman was sliding down the other side of the door in the neighboring compartment, blood streaking the glass as she fell. Yukito could do nothing but sit there in shock-

-seeing Kaho instead of this nameless woman-

Yue shed Yukito's form in that instant, trying to get past his false form's paralysis, and he started to rattle on the door, and growled, cracking through it with his ice shards-

But the woman's assailant had run away, leaving her staring at him eternally. Her eyes, full of terror... would eternally beg for him to save her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yue was grateful that he had been wearing some of Tomoyo's clothing selections that evening. He couldn't make Yukito deal with this situation- his other self was shivering at the flashback he'd had- and couldn't exactly remember what the flashback had been about.

Therefore, he was standing with the policeman, his eyes covered by his hair, as he was questioned about what he had seen. 

"Yes, yes," he answered the detective's questions testily. "I just witnessed a murder- I broke down the door trying to get to her, I wish I could have saved her but-" 

Even Yue's calm could not hold in the face of the memory of those begging eyes. He hunched his shoulders, trying to hide behind his hair.

"But we couldn't," he whispered, speaking with Yukito. "We couldn't..."

He lifted his chin up enough to see the detective again. "I couldn't save her. By the time I had noticed something was happening he'd stabbed her and there was blood... blood was everywhere."

Even though Yue was a warrior and a Guardian, and had seen many things in the course of protecting his masters, he had little experience with random death. Random, thoughtless... No reason. When people had attempted to kill Clow, it had been out of jealousy or rage, or an attempt for power. Not like this.

He heard the police cataloguing the evidence. Nothing had been stolen. Her purse had been used as a weapon but her wallet was still inside. 

Just... made... no... sense...

He was still dazed when he realized another person, dressed like a civilian had entered the subway car, removing a silk glove from her left hand. The moon guardian didn't say anything until she had placed a smooth palm on the crimson stained glass.

She froze, eyes wide and terrified-

"Are you all right?" Yue found himself asking, and felt that odd echo in his mind. The young woman blinked at him, shaking her head and nodded.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I had no idea what her powers were when we were escorted back to the police station to give our depositions," Yue said softly, as Touya handed him a steaming cup of tea. The paler than usual Guardian took the hot glazed porcelain without flinching even as his fingers turned bright red.

//"Have you seen things like this before?" the stoic young woman said softly, looking down at her folded and gloved hands. Yue had been sitting beside her in the police car as the rode to the station.

"Not like this." His pose mirrored hers in the eerie quiet of the car. The entire world was shut out in silence as rain turned any light coming through the windows into surreal stained glass. Yukito's thoughts whispered about the sky weeping. Yue jumped when cloth closed over cloth and he felt warmth from the other person's hands soak into his.

"All you can do is try to forget it," she murmured, although she might as well have shouted.

"I hope not- you're out only witness," the detective barked from the front seat.//

"Yue? Will you be all right?" Sakura asked, beside him on Touya's couch. Yue had called them from the police station both to avoid drawing attention to himself and... he needed them. While he would never admit it aloud, both he and Yukito needed their presence right then. Yue couldn't bring out his other side- the snow bunny was huddled inside them and crying still.

"I'll manage," he said in his usual unemotional tones. Everyone there knew it was an act.

"I thought she was a sorceress, perhaps..."

//"I don't know what you are," the young woman said quietly as they now waited outside the office of the police artist. "But, since she can't, thank you for trying to help that woman. You might not have saved her- but you at least tried..."

"..." 

More silence for the next several moments after Yue's typical cross-armed response.

"What did you do back there?" Yukito's curiosity finally got the better of him.

"Do you know what post-cognition is?" she replied, and Yue nodded.//

"Post cognition?" Sakura frowned.

"You know what seeing the future is? Like what Clow could do? That's pre-cognition. The opposite is post-cognition, kaijuu."

KICK!

"SAKURA KAIJUU JANAI YO!"

//"You are a sorceress?" Yue asked. "I know of people using spells-"

"No- I use my fingers. I don't know about people using spells to see the past, but I am able to touch an object and feel the strong emotions that have been around it... and those emotions carry images of what happened."//

"That must be an uncomfortable gift," Touya commented after he'd nursed his beaten knee. Yue still wouldn't look at anyone, but when Touya took his hand, rubbing it gently, he shivered, and changed back into Yukito.

"After that," the snow bunny started to cry. "We were able to give our depositions."

//"Do you know what its like, to look into the face of someone who is being murdered?" the young woman had finally given her name, Mirei, a few moments before. 

"I do now," Yue said softly.

"That's why you need to do your best to forget... I've seen it all too often. It never gets easier."//

"The lives of those with special abilities are usually tragic ones," Touya said under his breath, and Yukito leaned into him, crying harder.

//"Then why do you do it?" Yue almost demanded, raising his inhuman eyes to meet hers. She didn't gasp- after all, she had seen him in the past vision. 

"I do it for them," she answered simply.

"For the families?" Yue backed away.

"For the victims. So that they won't be forgotten."//

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Thanks for dinner," Syaoran knelt at the low table in front of him, staring at the wreckage of a good meal. They were at Eriol's old house, both of them looking tired and harried. 

Their searching had come to nothing- absolutely nothing.

Eriol had been surprised by how quiet the little wolf had been during dinner that night. He realized that while they both had a lot on their minds (The Promised Day and all) that they would have at least tried to mimic polite conversation.

"What's wrong?" He finally asked, offering his cute descendent some sake.

Li didn't answer immediately, but downed his little cup of rice wine.

"I've been called back to Hong Kong. Apparently, the End of Humanity isn't enough to keep me from my duties as Clan Head."

"They still make you work for them even after what happened with Meilin?" Eriol was just short of flabbergasted. Of course, he couldn't actually SHOW that, but...

"What is it about old men that make them think they order the universe?" Syaoran had poured another drink for himself and tossed it back quickly, his lips puckering at the wretched taste.

"You're talking to an old man who tried," and here Eriol smiled grimly. "Tried and almost succeeded. I agree with you- but if you need to go back, well, nothing short of the end of the world will stop you from returning. We know that, and they do too, though they might not admit it."

"I miss Japan when I'm gone," he said softly... and Eriol had no idea what was coming over him. He reached out and took one of Syaoran's hands.

"I'm sure... I'm sure- everyone- misses you too."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Did you have fun playing?" said a bored Brad as he read his paper in the living room.

The door opened a moment later, and a blood covered, blond man entered, grinning manically.

"I hurt God tonight."

"I'm glad you had fun."

"An angel tried to stop me..."

"Oh?"

"I had to flee because I was not strong enough at that moment to fight him... But I will lie in wait, and destroy God's servant. The End of All is approaching and I must act quickly if I am to finally get my revenge..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"How many do you think this guy has killed?" Sakura asked her brother, after she cast Sleep on Yukito. The card might have usually been under Yue's protection, but it had wanted to help its friend more, and Sakura used Dream to make sure the worst things that crossed his mind that night were running out of pastries.

"The only person who could really tell would be this Mirei person," Touya's eyes were hidden behind the gleam of his glasses. "And only then if she were to go to every single crime scene in the city. You'd want to ask the police if he has a specific MO..."

"Onnichan... where did you learn so much about the police?" Sakura stopped, wide eyed. "And about serial killers?"

"I have seen several American TV programs about them," he smiled charmingly. "That might have been it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

//Eriol stared at the cross in front of him.

He had seen it all before.

He would see it again.

And again.

And again.

As his body was impaled with the Shin ken. As the wires dismembered his body. 

Watching as Sakura ran to grab his head and cradle it, tears running unimpeded down her cheeks, falling into his empty eyes, full of shock.

It seemed like he was the one crying...

Then Eriol would wake up- unable to see who that person was, only knowing he was powerless to stop it.//

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The police detective in charge of this chase shuddered at yet another gruesome murder on the subway- the fourth one. Only this time, there was a message. Written in blood, of course. This bastard had a taste for the macabre.

"Messenger of God, tell Him how I hate Him. Show Him how I hurt His children. Then tell me if He weeps," the detective read, slowly, his eyes tracing the red symbols.

"Does anyone have any idea what the HELL he's talking about?" he growled, rubbing his eyes. God... what kind of monster was this? 

He had to call Mirei-san back- even though he would have preferred to spare her this horror. His gorge didn't want to stay down. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yue walked beside Mirei-san as they approached the subway station. 

He had heard about this newest murder through Tomoyo's numerous sources, and didn't want the young woman to face this horror alone. He thought about asking Sakura and Touya to come with him... but he had to spare them this. Sakura was too gentle, and Touya had no experience with this kind of thing, despite his being an onmyouji.

They seemed to descend into darkness as they walked down the stairs to the underground tunnels of the subway, the lights of the walkway were either off or out.

It was only a matter of moments for them to get to the car the crime had been committed in. Different train, same car. The last one. Another young woman was stabbed, her blood sprayed like rain over the seats and door as she had tried to escape. Yue wanted to pop out is wings and wrap them around himself, but he didn't- not in public. He didn't want to accidentally start any new religions.

He watched Mirei kneel in the blood and the filth, and touched her arm, absently calling the Dream to show him what the post-cognitive saw. No one but the magically gifted would be able to see the Card's work- and Mirei was so busy he doubted she would notice as she invoked-

//He was pale, with one yellow eye and white hair and many, many pierced places. He was dressed in leather, wore an eye-patch... and he was grinning at the young woman in the car with him. Madness gleamed in his good eye. 

"You are going to help me hurt God," he told the woman, before pulling her from her seat, and tossing her with jarring force into one of the windows. The insane man looked around, like he was waiting for something to happen.

"Where is he?" he blinked, confused. The stunned woman shook her head, getting enough sense back to try to run. Her killer didn't like this, grabbing her hair to drag her back. Again he looked around as he kept her in a sleeper hold, like he was expecting something to happen.

"Where is the Messenger of God? He is supposed to appear!"//

Yue fell back, dizzy, dismissing poor traumatized Dream with an apology.

Mirei was weeping as she pulled her hand back. "He's looking for you," she whispered, and Yue helped her stand. She refused to meet his eyes. "He killed her... so you would appear. He thinks you're an angel. This is his message to God- that he will keep killing women until God weeps."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sakura walked back to her apartment, head down, with her brother and Tomoyo by her side in the pouring rain. Yue had left a good twenty minutes ago to help that woman, Mirei. She was worried- this serial killer business was something she was not used to handling- had no experience with. Okay, there was Seto Kaiba, but he'd somehow wound up dead.

She very nearly passed by the building that had recently been torn down, but sighed when she noticed that it had been one she had been to years ago and had so quickly been destroyed. 

Tap, tap, tap...

Tap, tap, tap... 

Frowning, she poked her head through a hole in the fence, and blinked as a suited man was carefully hammering bits of concrete off some of the building rubble.

"Hello?" she said curiously, her mind off the strangeness of her night. "May I ask what you are doing?

"Mmmm? Hello? Oh, this?" he turned friendly brown eyes to Sakura's green ones. Tomoyo looked in as well, and her brother hovered over them protectively.

"I collect building scraps."

"How unusual," Tomoyo murmured. "I have never heard of people doing that."

"I know it's not like other hobbies," he shrugged modestly. "But I feel sorry for these old buildings, so full of history, then discarded when people are through with them. I have an apartment full of bits and pieces of buildings from all over the city."

"That's fascinating! I would like to learn more about it!" Tomoyo clasped her hands together. "We with odd hobbies must stick together! I bought a DELICIOUS cake for tonight-" she grabbed the hand Sakura held the cake box in. They had picked it up at an all night bakery on their way from dropping Yue off.

Sakura could only say "Hoe?" as they were dragged to this man's apartment. Sheepishly, he introduced himself as Miyataka, 

They ventured to in, and Sakura nearly tripped over the mounds of boxed scraps.

"Its just a hobby, so they really aren't well organized," Miyataka blushed- he had obviously never had this much attention paid to his hobby before.

"This is amazing!" Sakura was suitably impressed, her eyes sweeping the tiny apartment. It was jammed with boxes, display cases and mounting boards. 

"How can you tell what is what? Nothing is labeled!"

Miyataka smiled shyly. "I can tell by touching them." He used his teeth to tug off one of his gloves. "This one came from a scrap yard. This one, a hotel, a grand old one... This one came from a restaurant." He offered the box. Every little piece of concrete was in its own compartment. He pointed to one. "Can you tell what that is?"

It was a tiny piece of concrete, with something white sticking out of it.

"It looks like bone," Tomoyo said curiously.

"Its part of a human skull," Touya finally spoke. Everyone turned to him in surprise.

"You're right!" Miyataka was delighted. "Construction was fast and furious during the post war era, and safety standards were not well enforced."

"It could have been a murder," Touya shrugged.

"No, no, it was an accident."

"How can you tell?" Sakura was amazed, then her eyes widened. He had to be another post-cognitive!

"Like I said, by touching them."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"How do you do it, Mirei?" Yukito was sitting next to the beautiful psychic as they left the crime scene. No one had noticed that he had changed back to Yukito after they had seen such a vision. Yue... he had almost as much trouble with this as Yukito did. 

"I had trouble at first, knowing I was different," she smiled faintly. "Then I discovered I wasn't alone."

Yukito raised his eyebrows, and she presented the small chunk of wire wrapped concrete she always wore. Biting the finger of one of her gloves, she tugged it off and placed her fingertips over the piece of rubble...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Farfarello," Bradley Crawford's voice was flat. It was a sure sign that he was mad about something.

The berserker just smiled. He had been out hurting God again, and if that Angel were too afraid to face him, he would find a way to flush him out.

"You are aware that you are bringing undue attention to yourself?"

He shrugged. The white haired man could care less so long as God felt pain.

"The police are trying to keep things under wraps, but the media has gotten hold of this. They didn't, however, get hold of one piece of crucial information yet- there is a psychic working this case."

The precog frowned. "She is a post-cognitive. She has given them your description, along with the only witness. We have a picture-" he stabbed one finger at a somewhat fuzzy photograph of the psychic Mirei and Yue standing beside her. "They have apparently made friends."

"The Angel!" Farfarello grabbed hold of the slick paper and held it up to his working eye. "She, who is a servant of God and he who is one of His Messengers..."

Crawford snatched it back. "I can see where you might be confused, but as you can see, they are both human, even if we haven't found any information on the young man."

"He is an Angel!" the demented man proclaimed. 

"Whatever," Brad's irritation was growing by the second. "Just get rid of the only two witnesses."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The night had gotten very late, and Mirei smiled at her 'mother' as they walked, arms linked, to the subway terminal, not realizing they were being watched.

It was nearly twelve.

"I will be leaving you now, Mirei," the elderly, elegant lady said softly, her tone full of love and regret. In front of her, the only child she had ever known, was clutching her hands, confused at her adopted mother's strange behavior.

"Remember- there is a perfect companion for everyone," she graced her child with a smile, even as she tried to say goodbye. 

"Even more perfect than you?" Mirei blinked. 

The elder said nothing as the subway car's doors closed in front of her, and the train started to move away.

"What are you talking about, mother- Mother? Mother!"

Their eyes met and locked, one last time, as the train sped away, and that was the last time Mirei saw her mother alive.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yue and Sakura went to their next meeting with Mirei, this time to find her kneeling in front of the skeleton of a house, touching a tiny purse half buried in the dirt. Silent tears ran down her face.

"This house was the scene of, what the official report says, is a suicide/murder. I never believed it," the detective spat, as he helped Mirei to her feet. Sakura and Yue followed them to his car. "There was a family living here- and the father was accused of embezzling. The two children came home to find their parents dead, and the daughter was so distraught she ran out into the street and was hit by an oncoming car. The son said it was deliberate- and I honestly believe him. The paper trail leading to Fujimiya was too easily followed. I can't do anything now, but," he looked away, and put his hands in his pockets, before opening his own door to climb in. "I just needed to know the truth."

Mirei sat in the passenger seat, while Sakura and Yue sat quietly in the back. The detective was giving the younger female some odd looks, like he couldn't possibly understand what she was doing there. The silence was finally shattered, when they heard a call on the police radio- one that they dreaded.

"There's been another murder! We're on our way!" 

Sakura watched Mirei as they arrived at the station, curious as to how this woman could understand the past… Then her eyes were drawn to the circle of detectives, officers and forensic techs. Mirei was walking slowly towards them, clutching her hands, like she knew what was coming.

Someone mentioned a bag- and presented it- and Mirei gasped… and someone pulled the sheet off the face of the latest victim.

"Mother…" 

To be continued.


	9. Chapter Seven

****

The Bet:

Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: Both Card Captor Sakura and Tokyo Babylon belong to CLAMP, and not me. I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

Bradley Crawford's eyes opened- and paused.

"Farfarello has bitten off more than he can chew this time," he told the rest of his team. Nagi and Schuldich nodded.

"His brain is even more scrambled than usual," Schuldig said as they started to get ready to go. "You saw him… up against Sakurazukamori. We don't stand a chance against that. Yet he somehow got it into his head that he could finally hurt God…"

"Exactly. He's a member of the team. We don't want to lose him."

* * *

Yue and Sakura sat, waiting as Mirei said her goodbyes to the body of the woman she called mother.

When they had found the latest victim of the subway killer, Mirei had fainted... and had been out long enough for them to get her back to the police infirmary. They had sat in the room with her, hoping she would be able to cope when she woke up again.

Not that a person could truly recover from something like that. Mirei would have to see not just another murder, but the murder of someone she loved. And not just someone she had loved- but the person who had helped her learn to cope with her abilities. Sakura's heart ached for the gentle woman.

Yue's heart hurt as well. He and Yukito had become close to this person. She was one of the few people he had allowed in.

This meant that when Mirei emerged from the corner's, with a grim, determined expression on her face, they felt something had to be wrong. Yet neither did they question her.

* * *

The phone kept ringing, and Yukito kept worrying.

"Its possible that she is on a date," Touya said, sipping his coffee. Yukito finally hung up the phone.

"No, probably not," Yukito finally answered, after pacing for a few moments then sitting down. "She said she had someone special in mind and- I," Yukito paused. "Well, she hasn't run into him yet."

Touya raised an eyebrow, but didn't press.

"Are you going to go to the subway to check on her?" Sakura asked. She had been sitting on the couch playing cards with Tomoyo. Their little group had been spending the recent rainy days together. It had been so bad that Sakura had been tempted to use the Storm card to change things- but had decided against it.

Yukito nodded, and went to get his coat. It was odd, to be doing something without Touya or Sakura- but this was something he felt he had to do. Mirei- alone?

No. He was a Guardian, no matter his form.

It was with a heavy heart he walked out into the rain, to find the subways.

Behind him, his friends watched.

"Are we really going to leave him alone to do this?" Tomoyo asked quietly, putting her cards on the table. Kero-chan did the same.

"You bet we ain't," he replied. Touya was already reaching for his umbrella, and Sakura was putting on her boots.

"We just won't let him know we're there yet."

* * *

Yukito blinked, feeling urgency tickle the edge of his mind. His breathing picked up, and without realizing it he had transformed into Yue but he could still feel their body as they dashed on to the train. Together, they almost got trapped in the subway doors as they tried to at least make it on the train. Yue hissed, coming to yet another set of connecting doors, and wrenched them open. Thankfully they were unlocked, or they would have been in ruins, as he hurled himself through.

He could see her, as she sat in the same seat as the girl Yukito had watched murdered- with a young human man leaning down at her, his body language speaking confidence and casual menace. Mirei looked like a cornered rabbit.

Forward- another unlocked door.

A man lunged in, from between the cars, before Yue could get there and provided a second's distraction- before his throat was slit and bled out. Yue grimaces, and kept going.

Forward- but this one wouldn't open.

There was a massive, horrific screech as the subway skidded to a hault- a result of the night's horrible weather.

Mirei surprisingly pushed the attacker aside to reach the man, while Yue reared back to form crystals, which tore the door off its hinges to let him through. By the time he got there- Mirei and her attacker were gone.

The detective Yue remembered from earlier was there, staring at the door, and the dead body.

"Idiot," he said softly, tossing his trench coat over the young man's body. "You can't get a promotion when you're dead."

Yue got to his feet, about to follow the head off the train.

"Yue-san, was it?" the detective asked, grabbing his arm. Yue shook it off. "Listen- we have to be careful, work with us, okay?" They exited the train together, looking around.

"Yue-san?" There was a pause as the other detective spoke. "You're friends are looking for you." He waved his cell phone about.

The way before the train was covered in water- there was no way they could have gone that way. Turning was the only way for them to go.

* * *

Farfarello hauled Mirei down the subway tunnels, laughing to himself as he carried her. Mirei futilely beat on his clothes, scratched at anything she could reach- but he shrugged it off.

"Why?" She yelled- then he slapped her. Quietly, she kept asking. "Why? Why did you kill those women?"

"To hurt God, the same way God hurt me," the man hissed, before slapping her again. "Then I saw His Messenger- and finally knew that God had wept at my transgressions. You are His servant, even though He cursed you. I will use you to lure out God's Messenger and destroy him."

_Yue,_ she thought, frightened. She was going to be used to lure him in. Squirming, she rolled her face against his clothes, grimacing at the smell of blood so deeply soaked in that no amount of washing could remove it.

She felt death- saw every murder- and screamed.

And screamed.

And screamed.

* * *

"I don't think we can drive any further," Touya said, his usually chipper voice… no less chipper than normal. The road before them was flooded- the only thing that kept the ankle deep water from going further up the streets was the sandbags piled four deep across.

Sakura beat a fist against the dashboard, and Tomoyo reached over to rub her shoulder. The young sorceress took a deep breath, and got out the car.

"We need to find him," She said firmly. She was quickly getting soaked to the skin despite the water resistant garment of Tomoyo's. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Touya was looking distant… and Sakura blinked at him. He was absently smoking, despite the rain.

"We can split up. You girls and Kero-chan go that way," he pointed to the right. "I'll go here, and see what I can find." Touya pointed left, and was already walking, and easily leapt over the nearly stone wall.

That was when the two girls heard the screams- and ran as fast as if Sakura had used the Dash.

They didn't get far.

Tomoyo looked up in time to see a train car fall at the- with a scream she fell to the ground and covered her head. Sakura whipped out the Shield card just in time to deflect it. Beneath its protection, Sakura wrapped her arms around Tomoyo to comfort her- and both stood, staring out from inside the safe bubble.

Two men approached. One, tall and redheaded, smirking; the other, younger than they, dark and expressionless- but with pieces of rusted, warped metal dancing around his head.

"Aren't they pretty?" the redhead said, looking at them in a way that make Sakura squirm, and she could feel Tomoyo's face turn… cold. Sakura shivered.

His companion said nothing- but a few of the metal pieces flung themselves at the Shield, testing its strength and boundaries. Sakura flinched- Shield had to draw more energy from her to keep each blow at bay.

Yet she weathered it-

"This isn't going to get us very far," the redhead remarked, smirking even more broadly… and waved his hand… and a large lion with wings appeared, shaking his head, but still advancing, his muscles tense as he fought each step- but that didn't stop him from opening his mouth- and blasting them with fire.

"KERO-CHAN!"

* * *

Yue heard the scream- and nearly popped out his wings to fly there. He quickly outrun the detective, and arrived in time to see someone fall from a height to land on the blond man, knocking the shell shocked Mirei away. She stared at them, dazed, soaked and confused.

"RUN!"

Yue would have been shocked if he'd had the time- Miyataka had grabbed hold of the man's knife, and was being tossed around like a rag doll as Mirei scrambled up rickety ladder. He was tossed, casually, into a wall.

The blond growled, before ignoring Miyataka completely- his goal was Mirei, and was climbing after her when Yue caught up to Mirei's knight in shining armor.

"Are you all right?" he asked tersely. His friend nodded, pointing urgently towards where Mirei and her attacker had gone. Yue didn't hesitate, throwing himself up the ladder- he heard the detectives and still did not dare add his wings.

Farfarello crawled after the Servant of God, who desperately tried to get away from him, whimpering. He had hurt her, he knew. He felt her use her holy powers on him- and knew that she had harmed for it. He smiled cruelly. When he had seen the Messenger, he any doubts that his teammates had so painstakingly tried to give him, had been swept away. He KNEW he was right, and he could finally… finally…

She had kept barely ahead of him- and he had made sure to stay behind the gibbering woman, savoring her panic and fear.

Now she was edging out on to a narrow ledge over a deep, (now) water filled tunnel. Agilely the assassin stepped after her, pulling one of his knives out, lunging-

"AAAAHHH!"

Farfarello was yanked away, small but powerful hands gripping his clothes. His good eye rolling, he shimmied in his opponent's grip, hissing like a cat to see the Messenger. White- all he saw was white hair, pale skin, silver eyes- beautiful and full of holy rage.

Before the Messenger could stop him, he wiggled, drawing back and slashing frantically at the radiant being who held him. There was a screech of pain- and he was dropped into the shallow water beneath.

Farfarello tread water, seeing the angel falter in the air, and grab hold of the same ledge that the servant still balanced on. The look he received from the Messenger promised death- he wouldn't need the servant anymore to keep his attention. Fighting in water would be to the advantage of neither- he turned to swim away.

Yue gritted his teeth in pain, flailing in the air until he snagged the ledge, and made his wings vanish. The shallow cut was transferred to his shoulder blade, which opened and bled into his clothes. He took a deep breath, hanging there.

"Mirei-san," he ground out," you have to go back…" She was staring at him like she had no idea who he was. That was likely- at the moment she had the countenance of a wild animal.

"Go- go back-"

She began to move on shaky legs, trembling with fear and still in shock over what she had seen, eyes dazed. Mirei was barely aware of her surroundings- and screamed, as her foot slipped.

"MIREI!"

Yue couldn't get to her- but-

Her knight in shining armor could.

Bare hands on bare hands met- and-

Yue could sense the magic being transferred from body to body, mind to mind and soul to soul, as the two psychics touched. Mirei gasped, and Miyataka smiled at her tenderly as sanity returned to her eyes.

"I knew… we would meet again."

* * *

Sakura stared grimly at the two men before her.

Shield had held off Kero-chan's attack- but she had to free him, not weather this storm.

"Tomoyo-chan," she whispered under her breath. "We have to save Kero- one of those guys are controlling him. I don't know which one."

"The one who is moving things is more dangerous," Tomoyo said softly, and reached into her purse- and pulled out a can of mace. "You go after the telekinetic- and make enough noise that I can go after the other one."

Sakura's eyes widened- and she nodded. She was proud of her friend. Reaching into her pocket-

"WINDY!"

Both girls ran out of Shield's protection- while Sakura called Arrow and Jump as Windy pushed back Kero-chan. Tomoyo trotted grimly behind her- she wasn't athletic but-

_Now, now little girl,_ a voice whispered in her head, as Sakura charged on. Tomoyo froze in terror.

_Do you really think you can surprise me?_ The redhead looked directly at her, his smile turning predatory. _I'll know any move you make before even you do._

_Get out of my mind._ Tomoyo said answered- coldly, masking her fear.

_And how do you propose to do that, beautiful? I kind of like it- ooh, lets look at all of those memories… Does your little friend know how much you love her? Does she-_

Tomoyo could feel this bastard digging around in her head- and she gritted her teeth, and met his eyes.

Farfarello ran- he had to find a place to ambush the Messenger. He knew that the blow he had struck would do little good. Turning her a corner, he ran into-

"Crawford?" he skidded to a stop, staring at his 'boss'.

"Farfarello," the American said calmly. "We need to get you out of here. I had a vision."

He refused to listen to anymore- twisting on his toes he sprinted off, panting, to find a place to make his stand… Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of white. Diving, he tossed one of his knives, and rolled, coming up behind yet another car.

Farfarello's lips twisted in excitement. The Messenger of God would die.

* * *

Bradley Crawford watched as the Irishman sprint away, frowning. His vision had been explicit in its meaning-

And there was someone smoking beside him. His head turned despite him, and he took in the tall young man dressed in a suit at least as expensive as his own. His eyes glittered in the faint light, smiling with a hint of amusement. Crawford had seen him before- but only in his visions.

Or his nightmares.

"Sakurazukamori," Crawford tried to keep the trembling out of his voice. After all, he was standing next to the Bogeyman of Assassins.

"Schwarz, I believe."

Crawford nodded, his throat dry. "I apologize for my associate's behavior. I will reign him in immediately."

"Don't worry," Sakurazukamori said, taking a long drag of his cigarette. "I understand you are professionals. Unfortunately, your associate has damaged my property. I can't allow that. You understand, don't you? I wouldn't want to kill all of you. You're so good at your work."

Crawford paled.

"Now, if you will pardon me for not actually being here- but I do want to protect what is mine. I can't let anyone else catch what I caught first."

And the illusion shattered around Crawford- making him realize he'd never been talking to the real thing. He wasn't sure he was grateful or not.

* * *

Yue hissed as a knife barely missed him- and he tried to find cover, when a pair of arms with the strength a bear wrapped around his windpipe in a sleeper grip- and he knew no more.

All he could remember was the sight of a few sakura petals drifting in the wind- and a scream.

The next thing he knew, he was drifting awake, with a horrific headache, in Touya's lap. Sunlight pried his eyes open. The other man was smiling at him gently, and helping him sit up. Yue said no words as he leaned into Touya's shoulder, having his hair stroked. He ached…

Then he noticed something behind them.

The murderer- his eyes were staring up towards heaven, like he had been trying to pray. His face said he had finally met the Devil.

Yue just… stared.

* * *

Sakura's concentration on her battle with the telekinetic was shattered when she heard a scream.

That was okay… so was her opponent's.

The redhead had fallen to his knees, convulsing. His partner ran to him, ignoring Sakura- who stared at Tomoyo, who in turn was looking at him in completely bewilderment.

Spittle frothed at the redhead's mouth as he thrashed, biting out his tongue.

"Mastermind, Prodigy," someone called, and Sakura dived between Tomoyo and their attackers, pulling out Sword.

"We're leaving. We're on Sakurazukamori's territory. We get out NOW."

Prodigy- the one still standing- used his powers to float the still flailing man up. There was total silence as they departed- and Sakura reached over to put an arm around Sakura. Vaguely she thought she should do something about the retreating men- but she was too worried and tired.

"Tomoyo- what did you do?" Sakura whispered into her ear.

"I- I don't know."

Sakura opened her mouth to ask more- but they both heard a groan. Kero-chan had reverted to his false form and was huddled pathetically against the asphalt. Sakura dashed to him, to pick him up.

"I didn't do a thing to him," Tomoyo whispered, touching her head, shivering. "Nothing at all."

* * *

Yue stood next to Mirei, as they walked down the street.

"How are you holding up?"

"I've been better- since- since the funeral," Mirei sighed, looking at her still gloved hands. There was an engagement ring winking on one finger. "The engagement though- its kept me so busy that I've not had the time to be sad. It helps."

"I'm happy for you," Yue smiled. "I think you won't be lonely anymore."

"I'm not," the relief in her words was great. "And- Yue… I don't think you have to be lonely anymore either." Her eyes were no longer on him- but looking ahead. He followed her gaze and saw Touya, with Sakura and Tomoyo, waiting for him.

"I don't think I have to be, either."

To be continued.

A/N: I think there will be two more chapters after this one. I have been using the OAV episodes because they are shorter and therefore a lot less troublesome and to the point than writing out the manga…


	10. Omake

Disclaimer: See chapter one. This is a collection of oddball things I won't put in the actual story, and just seemed silly. Contains possible spoilers for later chapters.

****

The Bet

Omake

Here it was; the Promised Day. Sakura knew that her opponent was coming. She held her sword, feeling it weep. She had already cried out her tears

For Touya, who died in silence at the hands of the one he loved, regaining their lost humanity.

For Syaoran, and the love they never really had.

For Meilin, dying because she couldn't hold on to her hope.

And how, for her opposing star… who had arrived.

"Hello, Sakura-chan," her once friend said, baring her teeth in a smile. "It was foolish of you to call me out here."

"I know. Yet, its time," Sakura answered, sadly, resigned to inevitability.

"Yes, it is. However… even I have a wish," Tomoyo said, shaking her head in regret.

Sakura's face twitched. "And that is?"

"I have to find a place to put my video camera- this IS your greatest battle to date."

Some grudges never die…

"Is this what you wanted?" Eriol asked, holding the spirit of the poor lost one to him.

"Yes," Syaoran answered, exhaling. He felt so light.

"Even though I know the future, I couldn't do anything," Eriol said softly. "I couldn't save anyone- not you, not Kaho…"

Syaoran turned to him and shook his head. "Eriol, you did all you could. I knew I would wind up dying for Sakura someday. Perhaps, it meant that I would wind up dying because of the one I loved." He shrugged- then slugged Eriol in the face.

"And that's for all the shit you put us through as kids!"

Crossover Fun

The Syaoran-gumi landed, confused as to where they were.

"There isn't a feather here- but Mokona senses lots of power!"

The Tsubasa kids looks around- and saw… themselves. Fighting.

"I think we'd better leave now."

Birth of the Second Divine Sword

"And now you'll believe what I've told you," Umi whispered, starting to glow. Her body lifted from the floor, and she hung there. "Fujitaka's death, and Sonomi's death- that was there destiny…"

Her kimono shredded, revealing her nude form to the two girls in front of her.

The drama of the moment was spoiled when Tomoyo fainted, and Sakura blushed.

Old Friends

"I see you've taken up smoking, Yuki. That isn't very good for your health," Touya smirked, blowing out smoke. Yuki glared daggers and leapt back.

"I've been looking for you." The pale young man snarled, readying his knives.

"Why?"

"In order to prove the height rule wrong!"

The Puppeteers

"Hey, Clow?" Yuuko cooed, kneeling on a pillow. Clow's spirit knelt across from her.

"Yes, it's time. The moment we've been waiting for has finally arrived."

"Got the popcorn?"

"But of course."

The End of…

"It can't be! But the day has finally come!" Yuuko wailed, head buried under a cushion. She looked horrible.

Her loyal henchmen, Maru and Moro were equally despondent.

"It's the end of all things!"

"You ran out of booze and opium," Watanuki said, cringing. "You can get more."

Two Choices, one…

In the distance, two girls could be seen walking towards the two swords, wrapped in red fabric. They looked like streamers of blood. They batted through the air, causing the many feathers to drift.

Two girls- both identical, looking like Sakura, faces pale as wax, reached the swords and pulled them free…

"ACHOO!"

"Bless you."


	11. Chapter Eight

**The Bet**

**Chapter Eight**

**Disclaimer:** X/1999 and Tokyo Babylon and Card Captor Sakura do not belong to me at all and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

**A/N**: And here it is. We are winding down to the end, folks. One more chapter, tops, and maybe an epilogue. After that, either I start with the journey to the promised day, or I stop. I think I will continue, provided my interest in CLAMP continues. I hope it does. Though god alone knows how I'll end it... though my current idea is "Zettai daijoubu". A cop out, but I don't feel like too much angst around...

"TOUYA!"

The knife descended, and Yukito was frozen. He couldn't act as Touya threw himself between Yukito and the mad woman's blade; couldn't make himself move as he lost sight of the knife, as it was knocked away. Blood and fluid rained on the floor and on the shocked woman's face, when she realized what she'd done.

Then Touya had turned around.

Yuki screamed.

The image would never leave his mind- the smile on Touya's lips, his expression of relief, and the hand over his eye with blood oozing down through his fingers. He was an island of stillness as doctors and nurses erupted at Yukito's screech.

Touya had been taken from him, again.

He was wheeled away, limp, looking like meat on a cart, and security people were grabbing the stunned woman, who had lost all her fight. She collapsed into her captor's arms, shocked that she had maimed a bystander... even more shocked that she had tried to hurt one of her son's friends.

Yukito locked eyes with her, and they reflected the same question.

"How did this happen?"

* * *

The white moon Guardian paced the hospital lobby waiting for his mistress to arrive. His clothing was still spattered with Touya's blood. The smell had been too much for Yukito, and he'd run, changing into Yue with a speed that had surprised the guardian. It was odd- until this year, Yukito had never done the changing. In fact...

His thinking was circular- it would always come round to Touya again. Despite his being a warrior, the sight of... Touya, like that- it was painful. Yukito was so sensitive; it was no wonder that he was unable to handle this...

Again. Back to Touya. It was annoying when his thoughts constantly revolved around one man.

He recalled how he and Yukito had, over the past few months, spoken often with a young boy named Yuya, in the park on their way to classes- a fellow CLAMP student, though he was barely seven. Then, one day, he was no longer there.

The two beings had discovered that their little friend had a heart condition- one which required a transplant. They'd gone to visit him in the hospital.

Which had led to their fateful encounter with his mother.

She'd been inconsolable. No donors were currently available and he was worsening daily. Unable to stand it, she'd tried slit her own throat.

As fate would have it, that was when Yukito had arrived.

They'd grappled for a few moments, but while Yukito was far stronger than his delicate frame suggested, he couldn't bring himself to use that strength.

Angered, she had retaliated.

Then Touya had stepped in.

What else could he say about it? Shaking his pale head, Yue groaned softly. The mistress would be arriving soon, and..

"YUKI! Yue!" Sakura yelled, thundering through the doors. She was still dressed in her school uniform, no doubt having run, or flown, to the hospital when she'd heard the news. The teenager hit Yue running, babbling questions which he raced to answer.

Until she asked how Touya was.

Then his tongue stuck in his throat.

"They can't save his right eye. His other eye is untouched, but..."

Time seemed to stop, as Sakura's mind went through ever single way she could fix, change, _something_. She was Sakura, the most powerful sorceress in the world. There had to be... Something (anything!), she could do.

Yet the pain on her face when she came to a pause said she could not. The Time card was too dangerous. She had no idea how to use the others to fix his eye. There was no 'heal' card, either.

"It... won't be all right, ever again, will it?" she asked, subdued, before flinging herself into his arms. Yue took a deep breath, and petted her hair. Once again, he had to be the strong one for her. Not Yukito, not Touya...

But Touya HAD been the strong one this time. He'd paid the price for it. He'd paid the price because he...

Yue bit his lip. He could see something starting to develop between his other self and Touya, and as much as he might want to share in that, he felt conflicted. Could he and Yuki truly share Touya? Could Touya handle that?

Even more... could he handle the idea of being unfaithful to Clow?

* * *

It was cheerless duo that headed into Touya's hospital room the next day.

"Hello!" the older man chirped- causing Sakura and Yukito to stare. He was sitting up in the bed, as pale as the clean bandages wrapping his head.

"To-ya," Yukito said, slowly, before Sakura ran forward to hug her brother.

"Oo-nii-chan!" Sakura wailed, squeezing his ribs. His face turned a deep shade of purple underneath the bandages.

"Are you all right?" she touched his face, hands fluttering over his body like he would break. He smiled at her, and moved her away.

"I'm fine."

"No you _aren't_!"

"You mean this?" he asked, amused, pointing at his sightless eye. "It's nothing. I'll be up and around soon."

Both visitors went silent for a moment, attempting to regain their mental footing. Stealing himself, Yukito approached, and took Touya's hand.

"I'm sorry," he blurted, squeezing. "I'm so sorry! Please don't hate me!"

"Hate you?" Touya asked, confused. "Why would I hate you?"

"Because- it's my fault that you… You…"

Touya started laughing. It caught Sakura and Yukito off guard, watching him smile cheerfully at them. "It's not your fault."

"It is! It's all my fault! If I had been able to fight her off- if I had been strong enough-"

"It isn't your fault," Touya said softly. "I just happened to be there. You were no more at fault than if I'd been stung by a bee. Or a bird had," and his lips twitched "crapped on my head. I wouldn't blame you for those things."

"But I was the one-"

"You really want to make it up to me?" Touya asked, face serious. Yukito swallowed and nodded, willingly to do anything for him at this point.

"Get me some angel creams from Mr. Donut!" Touya asked, grinning wickedly. "And some regular donuts, too! And some apple fritters. I love apple fritters…"

Yukito's eyes widened, before his face split with a massive grin. "Sweets? That's all?"

"Well, I've could ask you to take care of my plants, but since I don't have any in my apartment that you could possibly take care of…"

Sakura smiled as well. "I could use the Sweet card-"

"No, I want real donuts," Touya nodded.

Yukito beamed- and bolted from the room. Sakura scooted closer, peering into her brother's face.

"Are you sure you're all right?" she murmured, uneasy. Touya nodded and she laughed in relief.

"Could you go check on Yuya-kun?" Touya asked, rubbing his chin. "I don't know if he's heard about his mother, or knows what she's done…"

Sakura swallowed- she'd nearly forgotten. Getting to her feet, she trooped to the door- and was knocked backwards as the door opened.

"Eriol-kun?" she wheezed, rubbing her abused nose.

"Hello, creep," Touya called cheerfully- he'd not seen Eriol in a while. The reincarnated wizard's eyes went wide behind his glasses.

"I had heard you'd been injured," he said respectfully, after inspecting Sakura's nose. She wanted to stay and talk to Eriol, but all his attention was on her brother. Laughing sheepishly she made her exit.

There was silence as the two men beheld each other.

"I'm glad that you protected Yukito, again," Eriol said softly. "I knew you'd give up your powers for him- but your eye-"

"I did this of my own free will, just like I gave up some of my strength," Touya shrugged, and leaned back, totally at ease.

Eriol was anything but. He felt… like a sword was about to fall. He couldn't even make himself sit.

"I came to thank you, again. I'm glad you've been here- I did my best to encourage Yue- or at least discourage him. He needed someone else to love, so even if I knew you were just a human…"

Touya's living eye twinkled. "So you say."

Eriol walked over to him, offering a bouquet, trying to ignore the fact that his hands were shaking for no apparent reason.

"I don't really understand what's going on here," Eriol sighed. "Since you showed up- it's been nearly a year, hasn't it? Since you've shown up, the past has come back to haunt everyone. I've tried to figure things out- to understand what's coming…" Here he winced, and Touya pretended not to notice.

"What's coming?"

"Ah," Eriol stopped. "It's not that important." Finding a seat, his head lowered, and took a deep breath.

And gagged.

"We should call the nurses- I can still smell the blood on you," he wheezed.

* * *

After making the fastest doughnut run in human history, Yukito sped back, walking past a gaggle of reporters- and stopped, walking backwards to listen to what they were saying.

They were trying to ask someone about his friend, Yuya-kun. They were clamoring to find out about the woman who had stabbed some man-

Yukito swallowed.

Yet like he was watching a bunch of circling sharks, who had no care for the pain the person was suffering. Touya had somehow avoided having his name published, but their friend had no such protection.

What would he do if he found out the truth?

For a moment, he worried his bottom lip, and then snuck past the legion of reporters. He could always get Touya more doughnuts…

"Yuya-kun?"

Inside was Sakura, who was sitting with a cheerful young boy- apparently he had yet to hear about his mother…

Smiling, he sat down and presented the doughnuts. "I think Touya can spare a few…"

Sakura leaned over. "He can't have any- they're being careful about his diet right now."

Yukito blinked, as a lump formed in his throat, and Sakura continued. "I think he wanted us to bring them to Yuya-kun."

"What are you and Neechan doing here, Niichan?"

* * *

"You aren't going to press charges?" the doctor asked, as he rewrapped Touya's bandages. A police detective sat across from him, taking his deposition.

"No, that woman was more than insane when she attacked. She was trying to protect her son; who can fault her for that?" Touya's tone was benign. "There's nothing to be done about the eye now. And who knows what may come of it?"

The doctor and the detective were both at a loss- most would have been furious.

"Besides, what would happen to Yuya-kun if his mother was taken from him? He has no one else."

There was nothing but frustrated silence to answer him.

* * *

Sakura pulled back from the door quickly so it wouldn't like she had been eavesdropping along with Yuki. The two had been standing there when Touya had been speaking, wondering exactly what he would choose… And they smiled in relief, piling into his room.

"Really you two," a nurse said, chidingly as she walked by. The two froze. "You realize he will need his rest!"

"Ah, give them a few minutes," Touya said, smiling at her. She wavered. "Really, they won't take long. We just wanted to talk about our little friend."

The nurse nodded a bit hesitantly, and then went about her business. Sakura and Yukito laughed nervously

"I take it you heard?" Touya said his living eye creased with humor. Sakura nodded.

"It's really very kind of you," Yukito murmured. He had found Touya's hand and begun running his thumb over the back. "You're such a kind person."

"I'm not, really. But there is nothing to be gained by pressing charges. You can't get revenge that way- and there is none to be had. Her boy will probably die soon, so it's not like I can take anything away from her."

Yukito should have been comforted by that… But his stomach twisted oddly.

"Brother, sometimes I wonder where you get these things," Sakura murmured, and found a chair. "I wonder if Eriol can help me come up with a solution. I'm the most powerful sorceress in the world, and he has the memories of the most clever."

Touya tapped his chin. "Well, soon it will be time anyways. I suppose I can't see the harm. What's done is done."

The silence that stretched out after that statement was most definitely uncomfortable.

* * *

The next couple of days were unusually quiet as Sakura pondered.

She wanted to save Yuya-kun, but… she hadn't been able to do anything for Touya. His eye was already lost…

The little boy needed a new heart.

Picking up her phone, she dialed Tomoyo and Eriol and arranged a meeting.

The next afternoon, they met at Tomoyo's house, sitting in her pleasant tea room while one of Tomoyo's maids placed a delicate service on the table.

"Thank you," Sakura said, and picked up her cup, but didn't drink. She just stared at it.

"I've been trying to think of ways we can save Yuya-kun. He needs a heart transplant, but… well, there have been no donors available and…"

Tomoyo put her hand on Sakura's shoulder. "I take it you are trying to find a way that involves magic?"

"And is legal?" Eriol said, raising an eyebrow. There were actually several ways to save Yuya-kun, though most of them would involve murder of some kind.

Sakura's eyes went wide, and she frantically shook her head. "No, no, no- I mean, yes to Tomoyo and no to Eriol. We have to do this right."

Tomoyo sighed softly. "There are many ways to do things, with the application of enough money, Sakura-chan."

Sakura shuddered. "No, we aren't going to do something like that! If we had wanted to do it that way, we would go give Yuya-kun's mother the knife again!"

"You realize magic won't fix Yuya-kun's heart." Eriol's voice was soft. "You can't just do it like that."

Sakura shrank. That was exactly what she'd been hoping for.

"Magic is an amazing thing, Sakura-chan. Yet it has as many problems as it fixes. Kaho's abilities were amazing, but they didn't save her. I knew she would die…" His tone was distant as he gazed into his tea. "Yet I never knew the how or the why."

The young sorceress bit her lip. "There has to be something. He needs a heart… but without depriving someone else who needs it."

"Then we… what? Create a heart out of thin air?"

"Create..?"

"Create!" Eriol's eyes went wide. "The Create card!"

Sakura's smile lit the room. "That's it! We could make him a heart, and then-"

"How would you make it?" Tomoyo asked softly. "His original heart was defective."

"His mother's heart- it wasn't. She was compatible. We could… we could…" Sakura trailed off, forehead furrowed in thought. "We could use the Twin Card on his mother's heart. Then it could be put in."

Eriol nodded. "I think that would work. We explain to her the situation, somehow. Then we get her to take Yuya-kun off the donation list, and into a private hospital… I have no objections to helping pay." He raised an eyebrow at Tomoyo, who smiled benignly.

"I would help as well, in ensuring confidentiality."

Sakura leapt to her feet. "Then I'll go talk to the Cards!"

"Ah, Sakura-chan, I thought you might help me with something first," Eriol interrupted, smiling faintly. "Because we were able to get so much done today, I wondered if it would be all right if you helped me go over what we know about Kaho's death."

Sakura stopped, the smile slipping from her face. "Ah."

Tomoyo sat backwards. "So- you've had no leads? I thought you said it was the Sakurazukamori."

"And that's the problem. The Sakurazukamori is powerful. I can't use my power to crack his spells on the area. And I tried."

"Then why don't we," Sakura paused to tap her chin. "I could use Time…"

"Our powers are too similar for that to work," Eriol sighed. "We use basically the same methods."

Tomoyo was watching them carefully. "So you are saying you need to see what happened? Why not try something else?"

"No one is going to tell us who Sakurazukamori is. He or she," and Eriol's mouth twisted on the words, "Works for the government. Besides, there's no where to start looking. No one escapes, no one sees. No one I have heard of has survived an encounter with Sakurazukamori in this lifetime. Our only real lead right now is the place where Kaho died. Tomoyo- even with all your money behind it- anyone investigating could die."

Sakura went cold. "Why didn't you tell me that? This person could really kill you?"

"He could have killed me already. Apparently this has turned into a game." Eriol didn't look happy with that admission. "Then again… If he knows who I am, there is a chance he'll ignore me."

Sakura fell back into her chair. "Why?"

"Because… I'm harmless to him." Eriol smiled charmingly, obviously hiding behind his glasses.

Sakura hugged herself. All right, Eriol could keep his secrets. He always had. "We need to find out what happened… Okay. How about Mirei?"

"Mirei-san?"

"Yue did save her life," Tomoyo interjected. "And she is a natural post-cognitive. It's possible that, without a spell, she could see the events. A murder would stain an area for a very long time."

"But what if the Sakurazukamori tries to hurt her?" Sakura protested, voice going high.

"That is why we will be there with her- with at least some of our Guardians. Yukito's not really in any shape right now to do much Guarding…" Eriol sighed affectionately. "He'll want to stay, I imagine, with Touya-san."

Sakura laughed a bit. "You're right. Its amazing, isn't? Things have changed so much in just a year."

"It's really been a year?"

"Yup. Tomorrow, it will be a year to the day when we found Touya again."

* * *

The day after Sakura and Eriol's tactical meeting and Yukito walked down the road, head down, hands in his pockets, holding a long internal dialogue with his other self.

The Touya they had loved- gruff, rude, over protective and gentle… He was gone. The man who had given up his seemingly most precious thing was never coming back.

In his place was a man who spoke in riddles, healed animals and practiced onmyoujitsu. Still beautiful and dark, but now his smile never reached his eyes.

His eye, now.

"He still is the same- he gave up something for me, without thinking about it." Yukito said suddenly, sitting down on a bench. It was times like these he wished he could talk to Yue face to face. Though at the moment it was like talking to no one at all.

"He's still Touya." Leaning back, he looked up at the sky, heart twisting. "His eye… He tries so hard to look after everyone…"

_"Obviously you love him," _Yue said, the words echoing in their mind. _"The question is who it is you love- the memory or who he is now."_

"But he's the same man."

_"No… somehow I don't think he is. Or perhaps we never really knew him."_

"Does that matter so much? I want to know him. I want to," he blushed, realizing he was talking aloud and got to his feet to trudge off again. _I want to spend my life learning to know him._

_ "Are you sure about that? A life is a long time."_

_ "I'm sure now. After all of this… I can forgive him anything. Even if he doesn't love me."_

Yue was silent. Then- _"You should tell him."_

_ "I guess I will."_

Together, the two beings headed back to the hospital, to meet with the one they loved.

The Bet

Chapter 8, part B

Yukito exhaled, closing his eyes for a moment before smiling softly. Pressing one hand to the door, he pushed it open slightly.

"Hey, To-ya," he called. It was dark. Perhaps the other man was…

* * *

"Thank you for coming out with us, Mirei-san," Sakura said nervously as she led the post-cognitive, Eriol and their Sun Guardians in their plushy bodies to the spot they had determined Kaho had died.

There wasn't much of a difference in the place she stopped in than the rest of the shrine grounds, other than being slightly remote. It was after dark but the moon was casting a soft glow over everything. A chill walked down Sakura's spine as Mirei tugged off one of her gloves.

"Wait-" the sorceress interrupted. "Eriol-kun, can I use Illusion-?"

"So we can see what she does? I believe so. Though- ah, use Loop to reverse the image. She'll see everything in reverse. It won't make sense to us."

Nodding, both girls took their positions. Mirei knelt, splaying her fingers as her palm touched the cool ground.

* * *

…asleep?

No- this wasn't natural darkness. Yukito had no time to react as blackness flecked with pale dots closed over his head. Reaching out, his mind latched onto wondering what they were.

Cherry blossoms danced in the dark. The air was thick with their smell- so thick they covered up the stench of rot.

"To-ya?" Yukito asked, gaping.

Across the way was the man he had fallen in love with, dressed in one of his suits and a bandage looped loosely around his head.

"It seems that the time has come, Yukito. To end our bet."

Yukito was at a loss, and Yue was not doing much better.

"You are inside my illusion- and under my spell. It has been a year since you and I met again… and it is time for our Promised Day."

"Touya?" Yukito and Yue were both confused.

"Don't you remember?"

The illusion rippled around them, showing the image of a night from five years ago. Yukito saw himself, not so much younger but staring at something.

_ "But you were so much fun to play with..."_

"You really can't remember any more?" Touya sounded almost disappointed. "You don't know why cherry trees are so beautiful?"

* * *

Illusion spun about them as the Loop card replayed the events in an order they could understand.

The night shone with moonlight- and Kaho arrived, calling for someone. Sakura watched, confused and chilled. The voice was uncannily familiar, and the face of the person was obscured.

"Can you see who it is?" Sakura asked, and Eriol shook his head. "It's too blurry. And I think this guy is using a maboroushi to hide himself."

The scene played itself out, with Kaho looking at her harasser, lips stammering as she answered a question. There was a pause, as the man seemed to sigh, lifting one arm and-

-_crunch-_

The light wavered, as the shadows could no longer conceal the face of who had killed Kaho. Sakura grabbed Eriol's shoulder in denial. It couldn't be. He would never, ever hurt someone else…

Touya couldn't be the killer.

_"Goodbye, Kaho. I really did have fun with you."_

_

* * *

_

"You know, that cherry trees used to be white? They were white as the moon in winter," Touya said, dreamily as the memory of the past played itself out. "Then a jealous emperor declared that ever after, a fallen warrior would be buried beneath each and every tree. The blood from the corpse would sully the pure white petals… turning them to this lovely shade of pink." He caught a petal absently to smile at.

Yet, Yukito could only stare. The vision had finished, blanking where Yukito's memory had. He was unable to hear the content of the bet.

"Think." Touya stepped up behind him, murmuring in his ear, so close his lips brushed against his ear. "Think about what you saw when you first arrived."

"I saw," the moon Guardian struggled, and Yue fought with him. He thought back to his longing to find Touya, how he his legs had carried him to… Tsukimine Shrine… And what he had seen. The two beings choked at the memory… of the bloody body of a woman as she dropped, and of the murderer.

"You- you'd never hurt Kaho-sensei," Yukito whispered, turning to look at him with wide eyes. "You'd never hurt anyone! You gave up your powers- your eye- to save me!"

Touya's expression never changed. "I did. And I have. More often than I can count." His tone was mildly pleasant. He smiled at Yukito charmingly. "I am Sakurazukamori."

Yukito shook his head in denial.

"I guess it's about time I let you remember," Touya went on, carelessly. "And see the Bet that we made."

"You can't be. No one sees Sakurazukamori and lives."

"Ah, but that is the nature of the bet. You see, I took away your memory of that time, so that when the year of the bet began, you wouldn't be under such strain." Touya chuckled.

Yukito's disbelief hung on with teeth and toenails, his faith in his Touya holding him still as the full scene began.

_Kaho's body dissolving into petals…_

_ Touya's face, flecked with blood. _

_ "When we meet again, you will have a year to make me think you are something more than a magician's toy. You win; you live. _

_I win, and you will take your place underneath my Tree."_

Yukito's eyes were blank as Touya wrapped his arms around him, pulling off his gloves.

"I marked you as my own that night. I used these marks to keep track of you, even when you tried to hide yourself with those gloves. You are my prey… I couldn't let anyone else have you."

Touya's voice was soft, insinuating. "And… I'm sorry you lost."

* * *

"Oniichan," Sakura's hand covered her mouth as the macabre play came to its conclusion.

"That's all this year has been about then? That's the reason Touya let himself be found?" Eriol asked, confused. "And if he's Sakurazukamori…"

"My god," Sakura's eyes were wide with terror. "It's been a year, Eriol! Do you think Yukito won?"

Eriol's eyes went wide- and turned to their Sun Guardians. "Go! _Go now!_

Without a word, Eriol took off after them, calling his Key and disappearing into the night. Sakura twirled her wand to summon Fly- but was stopped.

"Okaasan," she said, seeing the spirit stand in her way.

"_You should not interfere, and you must see the rest of the events that happened here. Your brother is a monster now- but the reason is more complex than you realize."_

"But- he killed Kaho-sensei-"

_"Yes. But that was because… he'd already lost his soul."_

Confused, Sakura turned her eyes back, seeing Mirei's face as it twisted in confusion, before looking up to see… Okaasan.

"_Mother… is there any hope for me? Any salvation from this hell?"_

_"Your spirit vision won't permit all the necessary binding spells to work on you._

_You will keep your emotions."_

"Keep- wait, Sakurazukamori loses his-"

Sakura had thought Touya's sacrifice to save Yukito had meant nearly nothing- now she realized it was worth more than anything in the world. Falling to her knees as the vision of her mother's death faded, Sakura wept.

* * *

"You can't- this isn't possible, it isn't real-"

"I can and it is very real. For years now, my emotions have been bound. To me, a human being, a sentient being, a glass vase or a piece of trash- they're all the same to me. No value. I used to feel something for you, but…" Reaching out, he grabbed Yukito by the arm.

There was a brief flash as Yue took over, offering a bit more resistance to Touya's grip- then shrieked when the other man's grip tightened.

"Grabbing you like this- I feel nothing."

Yue flared his wings to get away, and then wailed when Touya grabbed one, twisting it in his hands.

"Nothing at all." His hands kept twisting, causing a plastic snap in Yue's wing. He cried out in agony.

_ "_You're just a doll to me. A puppet. A number. Once you were the world to me... And now I feel nothing. Mother was able to overcome that, somehow." Touya's words were absent as he flung the shocked Guardian to the ground.

Touya had hurt him.

_hurt him hurt him hurt him hurt him hurt him…_

He kicked Yue in the gut.

"Nothing at all. Mother wanted me to kill her, because she was tired. Sakurazukamori is a Clan of one. When one takes the position, they kill their predecessor. Mother came to me and asked her to kill her…"

Yue listened, confused, the words heard but not registering. Reality was not connecting- it felt like it was all happening to someone else..

"Hm. If you had really wanted to, you could break free of this illusion and go home. Yet you just lay there… I must say I'm confused."

Yue looked up at him- he could feel himself being pulled down, sucked away. Something was starting to drain on him, but he didn't care. Clow was gone, Touya had betrayed him... What was the point now?

The crystal sound of shattering glass announced the sudden cracking of the Maboroushi as it came down around Sakurazukamori, heralding the arrival of the two Sun Guardians.

"Hello." He was all congenial welcome- before the illusion of the Tree grabbed Spinel.

"Soupy!"

Kero-chan nearly turned back, when a voice croaked. "Yue- get Yue!" Kero recognized the sound as Eriol's voice, but shook his head before charging to the side of the fallen Moon Guardian.

"Ah, Eriol-kun. I imagine you paid dearly for breaking my illusion," Touya said, and Kero stared at him in hatred for a moment, before turning back to Yue, grabbing him by the hair. Touya approached, strolling, then fell back as Spinel spat fire at him.

Keroberos had gotten away- but Spinel had yet to free himself. He tried to break free of the tangle of vines around him-

Then nothing.

* * *

Sakura stood next to Eriol's bed in the ICU unit, clutching his hand as he was kept alive by the respirators.

She wasn't alone- Tomoyo was with her, along with Yue, even though he was still injured.

"I just don't understand it. Oniichan, the- that? And he did it because…"

Yue sat across from them, aching and sore. His other self was still and silent, unresponsive to even Sakura's voice. Kero was hurt as well, though compared to everyone else, he was just singed.

"Because he's a blood-thirsty monster? He kills people for a living?" Kero-chan asked, deeply shaken.

"No," Sakura whispered. "He did it to save me."

"_What?"_

Sakura turned to Yue, who was staring at her, befuddled. "How would becoming an assassin- well, not just an assassin, but Sakurazukamori- be to save you?"

"Oniichan… Mother was Sakurazukamori. I saw it in the vision Mirei showed us. She- she told Oniichan that she would make me become that, if he didn't. He killed Okaasan. She wanted him to…" Her voice was thick with sobs. "She said that his spirit vision would keep the last spell making the Sakurazukamori from working."

Yue's head shot up. "You mean…"

"His natural, latent ability was the one thing that kept him from… becoming evil."

Yue stood up, his eyes massive holes in his face. He stalked to the small dresser and mirror in the hospital room. Staring at his reflection for a moment- his fist lashed out, smashing through his image and embedding itself in the wall.

"This is _my_ fault." No anger, no rancor, just a simple statement, but his face was twisted in loathing. "I had thought- when I found out he was an onmyouji, that his sacrifice was less. That he had... That he wasn't hurt by it. I'd started to think it had meant nothing."

"Yue- you couldn't have known." Sakura's face was shining with tears. "He did it on his own."

"He knew he would lose his emotions." The guardian's voice rose. "He let himself become this! For what? For me? I'm- I'm a magician's toy! That's what he told me! Just a toy!"

"Yue!" Sakura stood up. "You know that's not true! You're a person to me- and _you were to him too! Otherwise he wouldn't have given you his power!_" She grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. Un-Sakura-like to be sure, but she had felt like she was piloting another girl's body since this had started.

Yue didn't answer, but went limp under her hands. "It is as my mistress says."

"Yue, please don't! Be yourself- be alive, be yourself!"

"I cannot. I know what I am."

Sakura looked away. "I know you feel guilty about Niichan giving his power to you… Yet what if it was-" She stopped, and put her hand over her mouth, almost ill. "For the better? He had been Sakurazukamori for years, doing hideous things… Right now at least the guilt won't bother him."

"That's a good thing?" he stared at her.

"No, but it's the lesser of two evils. He doesn't have to hurt anymore," said Tomoyo, finally piping up.

Yue turned and left.

Sakura shook, looking ill for a moment before she ran to the tiny bathroom. The despair was so thick her body rebelled, making her lose her last meal.

Eriol was comatose, the backlash from losing Soupy driving his mind to retreat. Her brother had disappeared, and after seeing the truth about him, she couldn't bring herself to give chase.

Cool hands touched her head, and Sakura threw herself at her best friend.

"Tomoyo-chan, what am I going to do?"

The pale girl didn't answer, just let Sakura bury herself against her stomach. Petting the sorceress' hair gently, she whispered. "I'll take care of you. Just… remember you invincible spell."

Sakura hiccupped, still crying. "Everything will be okay?"

"You just have to keep believing that. Sakura- believe it. Everything will absolutely be all right."

To be continued.


	12. Chapter Nine

****

The Bet

Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer: **Tokyo Babylon/X/1999 and Card Captor Sakura do not belong to me; they belong to CLAMP and their respective publishers. I make no money from this work of fan fiction at all.

**A/N:** This is it, folks. Last chapter. Probably no epilogue, because it leads directly into the sequel, which I may or may not write. I think I will right now, but that changes.

There was a thing that Eriol hated beyond anything else in the world.

He knew his fate. The fate that Clow had made for him, setting up causality itself to put him in this position. Presumably he should have been equally able to do it… Yet he was not Clow.

All he could do was follow the path laid before him. He would act out the part, until the puppet's strings were cut…

And all he could do now was dream. He would sleep, and dream of the tragedy to come.

Walking through the dreams of others, he saw their terrors, the pains of the past, and the seeds of the future.

/_Yue stood before Yukito who sat, limp in a pool of moonlight._

_"Please- talk to me," the Guardian whispered. "It's not right for you to be so silent."_

_The false form said nothing, still locked in whatever hell he had thrown himself._

_ Yue took his hand. "I'm sorry. I should have protected you better. It's my job to take care of Sakura… and you do. You're the one she turns to when she needs help, when she needs a friend."_

_ Taking a deep breath, he stared into the distance. "You're also the one that… that Touya gave his powers up for." Sitting beside Yukito, the moon Guardian put his head on Yuki's knee._

_ "I never thought I'd be able to love after Clow. I never understood why I survived after his death. I guess it was so you could meet Touya. I don't think I could ever truly be free of Clow… but you can love freely. I guess that's why I'm the one who has to make things right."_

_Sitting up, Yue leaned over to give his other side a chaste kiss on the lips._

_"Zettai daijoubu yo."_

_

* * *

_

Sakura sat next to Tomoyo after yet another bout of weeping. She was still shocked over what they had discovered- her brother was the Sakurazukamori: an assassin who used onmyoujitsu to kill.

He had done it to save her.

She wasn't sure which was worse- knowing he killed, or knowing he did it to protect her from the same fate.

Sakura-chan wished she could understand what had happened- how in a day, everything in her life could be torn apart, again. Even more so, she wished she knew how to go about living her life when it seemed like the world was about to end.

How do you pick up after that?

"I need to go for a walk," Sakura murmured, and pulled away from Tomoyo's comforting shoulder. The other girl let go reluctantly, but nodded when Sakura didn't hesitate.

"Where are you going?"

"Home, for a little while." She needed to just… get some perspective. The entire universe had flipped; there was a subtext to her life that she had never suspected. Her existence was…

It just wasn't fair. Ruby Moon had locked herself away, mourning the loss of Soupy, Eriol was in a coma, Yukito was traumatized, and Sakura was dwelling on her own hurt. She shouldn't. She should be out there, trying to find a way… some kind of way to make everything right.

Yet at that moment, all she could do was huddle in her little ball of misery.

* * *

When Tomoyo went home that night, she headed directly to the family shrine.

She had no idea what it would be like to have the most important person in her life betray her. The heiress did know what it was like to lose someone you loved.

"Mother," she whispered, kneeling before the shrine. The oddly shaped bundle behind it seemed to hum. "What will happen to everyone now?"

There was no answer, as always; the pictures of her parents were silent.

* * *

When a person is miserable, the moment stretches for eternity, yet the days slip through your fingers.

Two days had passed since Touya's disappearance. Yue had been unable to call Yukito back to the surface- all he'd touched was a blank wall. Yukito was all but gone.

"Mistress, I've failed you."

The Guardian sat atop the roof of the hospital, hugging his knees. There was no one but himself, no one at all. Yukito was silent.

Somehow he had to make things right. Touya had become a monster to save Sakura, yet he lost his soul to save Yue, to save Yukito.

He had to make things right. He didn't know if they had ever really been that way; considering what he'd learned. Yet he knew, knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Touya with a heart was infinitely better than one without.

A solution started to percolate though his mind. It was drastic… but it would be final.

* * *

Sakura wandered home. Not her home at CLAMP campus- her father's home. She needed someone who didn't know of what had happened… She needed to see the place they had grown up together, to remember the happy times. She needed to figure out what had happened. Sakura needed her daddy.

It had been four days since Touya had disappeared. Two days since Yue had vanished into the night as well. She knew he was alive; their bond as Guardian and Master was intact.

The memories of her old life floated to her, as she walked back to Tomoeda.

* * *

The air was cool and moist as it flooded Yue's lungs. Though that was his fault, he was gulping every breath.

He knew the price of what he wanted. Worth that price, yes, but no one was ever truly willing to pay it, no matter how brave they were.

Resplendent in his normal white garb with his wings hidden, his bare feet made barely an impression in the thick bed of cherry blossom petals that carpeted the ground. Closer and closer he walked, the smell of the petals and blood filling the air. A dark shadow moved underneath the dense branches.

"Ah, I've been waiting for you," Touya said mildly, puffing on a cigarette. At his feet was the body of a dead girl child. Her chest was a gaping hole with roots squirming into and through her, pulling her down into the dirt.

"I see you haven't had time to change," Yue said coldly, staring at the blood soaking Touya's clothes. The man was already starting on the psychological warfare.

* * *

There was King Penguin.

Here was the school.

The clock tower was above her.

There were so many memories of this place. She longed for them and the simple time they represented. Her childhood had been happy-

Then she frowned. Those memories were tainted now. Memories of her brother's sacrifice, of her mother's betrayal and the first time her brother had killed, in front of her eyes, reared their heads. Nothing could ever be simple anymore. In fact, it never had been.

She mourned the death of her illusion.

Her eyes flickered, and then steadied over the direction of her house, and she blinked. Once, twice, three times; she thought she saw a bright… light?

* * *

Something almost like dim amusement passed over the Sakurazukamori's features as he shrugged.

"I'm a busy man. You should be happy I found time in my busy schedule for you. What do you want, doll?"

Yue gritted his teeth.

"I want for things to be right again. I know they can't… But I believe I can correct a mistake."

"You want to kill me?" Touya tilted his head. "You realize you cannot- not here, not at the base of my power."

"Killing you was never my intention. What I want though- is you."

"Me?"

He almost looked amazed, and Yue wondered if his ploy had worked.

"I know you cannot feel love. That is why I want you. Once, before I die."

* * *

Sakura's feet had begun running before conscious thought had a chance to catch up.

Her house was in that direction and her instincts had told her what was happening before her mind understood. It was her house. Her father's house was burning.

"No! _Father, no!"_

She could see a dim shape inside the blaze, standing there and looking upwards. "Father- what are you doing?"

Gathering speed, she prepared her wand.

"Water!"

A wave erupted from her wand- and parted against a powerful spirit shield.

"What- father? What's going on?" She approached. "Are you trapped?" Summoning Sword, she struck-

-and was again deflected.

"Father? Please, come here, I can get you out. We have to get out of here!"

"No, Sakura-san." He was sitting on a table, the last whole piece of furniture of their home. "Running away is something I can not do. There is no reason; this is my destiny."

"What?" She didn't understand- she couldn't understand.

"Sakura-san," his tone was gentle. "It was my destiny to die like this. Touya's destiny was to sacrifice his freedom for yours, so you could decide on your own." He acted like he was talking to her over the dinner table… in effect, he was.

"I must die here, Sakura-san. It is fate. It is the destiny that cannot be changed. Be strong, Sakura-san. Go back to CLAMP campus. Sakura- never forget your invincible spell."

* * *

It was a mad hope and dream that fueled Yue, as he coupled with Touya on their clothes against the knobby roots of the Sakura tree. Placing his lips to his Touya's throat, he slowly started to feed his energy back into him. A trickle at first, then a stream…

He came undone. The sex was indifferent, emotionless, a dying man's last request. The power Yue that had sustained him unraveled as it flowed back to its original master. It clipped the strings that had moved him, leaving behind only the power gained from their master.

It would be enough to sustain one of them.

Yue watched Touya's face as the last bit fled his body. The expression slowly changed from distantly amused to more involved- to ecstatic, and Yue gave himself over to physical pleasure as he enjoyed their first- and last- time together.

The orgasm hit him first, raw sensation taking second place to seeing the play of feeling over his lover's face. Going still, breathing out, watching…

-He saw Touya for the first time, since he had first been given the youth's power.

* * *

_"NO!"_

She beat her fists bloody against the glassy surface of her father's kekkai, driven beyond thought to save him.

It was useless. All of it. Inside her, she felt her father's death even as she lost sight of him in the dense smoke.

Tossing her head back, she howled her denial.

On a mountain, a man in black stopped practicing with his sword.

A blond man stepped out of his café, going home from work, and looked in the direction of Tomoeda.

A blue haired girl dropped her school books.

A pale boy in glasses stopped ranting at taller boy, dressed in gi and hakama, and both looked startled.

A small, braided girl with red hair stopped kendo practice, eyes wide.

The heartbeat monitor on Eriol's bed sped up, along with his respiration, and Ruby Moon shivered violently.

Meilin and a blond woman dropped their tea.

And Yukito woke up, alone and cold. A shadow ran from him.

All of them felt Sakura's instinctive cry, and all of them whispered a single word.

"Kamui."

Tomoyo sat in front of her mother's shrine, staring at the sword.

"Sakura-chan…"

The end.


End file.
